UK CCP Virus Death Toll Rises 24 Percent in a Single Day

UK CCP Virus Death Toll Rises 24 Percent in a Single Day
Medical staff at an NHS drive through CCP virus testing facility in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures, Chessington, Britain on March 30, 2020. (Peter Nicholls/Reuters)
Zachary Stieber
4/2/2020
Updated:
4/2/2020

The United Kingdom’s death toll from the new virus that originated in China rose nearly 25 percent in one day, authorities announced on Thursday.

COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, can cause death in some patients.
UK authorities said the death toll rose from 2,352 to 2,921. The increase of 569 was slightly above the increase of 563 reported Wednesday. The number of deaths doesn’t include those that take place outside hospitals, such as those in nursing homes.

All patients but 44 had underlying health conditions, National Health Service England said. COVID-19 causes more severe cases and deaths in people with such conditions or the elderly than those in other groups.

Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, told reporters that one of the deaths this week was a 13-year-old patient.

A member of the public walks her dogs down an empty high street in the city center in Exeter, England on April 2, 2020. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
A member of the public walks her dogs down an empty high street in the city center in Exeter, England on April 2, 2020. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The number of patients testing positive in the country rose to 33,718 overnight, an increase of 4,244 from the day prior. Over 163,000 people have been tested as of 9 a.m. on April 2. The number of people hospitalized in England rose to 10,767, including over 3,000 in London, Sharma said.

The UK is in lockdown, with people ordered to only go outside for food, health reasons, or work if they cannot work from home and are a key worker.

The CCP virus spreads between people, prompting officials around the world to order nationals to largely stay at home.

“When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection,” the UK government says on its website about the March 23 lockdown orders.

Authorities have been given authority to enforce orders through fines of £60 ($74).

Preventative measures recommended for the virus include frequently washing hands, avoiding sick people, and wearing a mask and gloves when leaving home.