UK Sees Biggest Rise in Covid-19 Deaths in a Single Day

A member of the public wears a a protective mask at a subway station in London, England, on March 25, 2020. Alex Davidson/Getty Images

With 87 new deaths recorded on Tuesday, the United Kingdom saw the biggest rise in coronavirus deaths on a single day as the total number increased to 422.

Out of the 87 fatal cases, 21 were reported from the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust alone.

“Sadly, we can confirm that a further 21 patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 have passed away between Friday 20 March and Monday 23 March, and our thoughts remain with those people who have lost loved ones,” Chief Executive of the hospital, Dame Jacqueline Docherty, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Docherty said the hospital is trying to cope up with the rapidly increasing number of cases and requested people to take all preventive measures.

“Our trust is seeing a high number of Intensive Care Unit cases, and we are stepping up our support in response to this demand, having already significantly increased the number of intensive care beds at our hospitals, but we need everyone to also do their bit by staying at home and washing your hands,” said Docherty.

The total confirmed cases of infection in the country on Wednesday was 9,529, according to the UK COVID-19 case tracker of the Public Health England.

Twenty of these cases are currently critical, as reported by Worldometer, a COVID-19 global tracker by an international team of developers, researchers, and volunteers.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement on Wednesday that though the country has a world class health service, it has only a limited number of doctors, nurses, and specialist equipment.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he gives a press conference about the ongoing situation with the COVID-19 outbreak inside 10 Downing Street on March 18, 2020 in London, England. Eddie Mulholland/WPA Pool/Getty Images

“So, the more people who become sick at any one time, the harder it is for the NHS to cope,” Johnson said, adding that that’s why the government has asked people to stay indoors until they have one of the reasons listed out by the authorities to come out of their homes.

“And so it is vital to delay the spread of the disease and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment at any one time,” he said.

On Tuesday, the UK government launched an appeal to raise volunteers to help the NHS fight the pandemic in the country and in just 24 hours, 405,000 people responded to the call.

“They will be driving medicines from pharmacies to patients. They will be bringing patients home from hospital,” said Johnson.

The team of volunteers will also be making regular phone calls to check on and support the population staying indoors.