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| Coronavirus: UK deaths rise to 2,352 amid rush to test medics | Coronavirus: UK deaths rise to 2,352 amid rush to test medics |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A further 563 patients with coronavirus have died in the UK, taking the total number of deaths in hospitals to 2,352. | A further 563 patients with coronavirus have died in the UK, taking the total number of deaths in hospitals to 2,352. |
| The Department of Health said 29,474 people have tested positive for the virus, up 4,324 since Tuesday. | The Department of Health said 29,474 people have tested positive for the virus, up 4,324 since Tuesday. |
| It comes as No 10 confirmed more than 2,000 NHS frontline staff in England have been tested for coronavirus since the outbreak began. | It comes as No 10 confirmed more than 2,000 NHS frontline staff in England have been tested for coronavirus since the outbreak began. |
| Meanwhile, a doctor who came out of retirement to volunteer in a hospital has died after contracting coronavirus. | |
| Dr Alfa Sa'adu, who had been volunteering at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn, became the fourth frontline medic to die with the virus in the UK. | |
| His son Dani Saadu posted online that his dad had died after "fighting the virus for two weeks". | |
| "The NHS were amazing and did everything they could," he said. | |
| "My dad was a living legend, worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years saving people's lives here and in Africa." | |
| The government has been under pressure to increase the screening of medics, so that those who are self-isolating unnecessarily can return to work. | |
| Hundreds have been screened since the weekend but cabinet minister Michael Gove said a shortage of chemicals needed for the tests meant the NHS - which employs 1.2m in England - could not screen all its staff for the virus. | |
| No 10 said test capacity will increase with an additional network of labs and testing sites. | No 10 said test capacity will increase with an additional network of labs and testing sites. |
| The PM's official spokesman said the government was "working with NHS England, Public Health England and others to ensure that happens". | The PM's official spokesman said the government was "working with NHS England, Public Health England and others to ensure that happens". |
| The latest increase in the number of people who have died relates to the 24 hours up to 17:00 BST on Tuesday. | The latest increase in the number of people who have died relates to the 24 hours up to 17:00 BST on Tuesday. |
| Have things got worse? | Have things got worse? |
| Just yesterday health officials were talking about "green shoots" amid signs the virus maybe plateauing. | Just yesterday health officials were talking about "green shoots" amid signs the virus maybe plateauing. |
| Yet today we have seen a big rise in deaths. Have things got worse? | Yet today we have seen a big rise in deaths. Have things got worse? |
| Not necessarily. We know the number of deaths are going to go up - that is to be expected. | Not necessarily. We know the number of deaths are going to go up - that is to be expected. |
| What matters is the trend over a few days - not what happens over the course of 24 hours. | What matters is the trend over a few days - not what happens over the course of 24 hours. |
| Any signs of progress will be seen in the number of cases first. | Any signs of progress will be seen in the number of cases first. |
| For the past five days the new cases has been hovering between 2,500 and 3,000 each day. | For the past five days the new cases has been hovering between 2,500 and 3,000 each day. |
| Now it has gone up by 4,300. That is a substantial rise, but over the course of the past week the trajectory has still slowed from what it had been. | Now it has gone up by 4,300. That is a substantial rise, but over the course of the past week the trajectory has still slowed from what it had been. |
| All eyes will be on what happens in the next few days to see if the hope of a slow down was misplaced. | All eyes will be on what happens in the next few days to see if the hope of a slow down was misplaced. |
| Read more from Nick on how to understand the coronavirus death toll. | Read more from Nick on how to understand the coronavirus death toll. |
| The BBC's head of statistics Robert Cuffe said the latest increases in the number of patients dying with coronavirus balance out with the below-average rises on Sunday and Monday. | The BBC's head of statistics Robert Cuffe said the latest increases in the number of patients dying with coronavirus balance out with the below-average rises on Sunday and Monday. |
| "On average, over the last week, the number of new deaths has been growing just below a quarter every day - or doubling twice in a week," he said. | "On average, over the last week, the number of new deaths has been growing just below a quarter every day - or doubling twice in a week," he said. |
| "That's slightly slower than earlier in the epidemic but if that keeps up, we'd expect to see in the region of a thousand deaths a day by the weekend." | "That's slightly slower than earlier in the epidemic but if that keeps up, we'd expect to see in the region of a thousand deaths a day by the weekend." |
| Meanwhile, Downing Street said 390 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks, alcohol wipes and aprons, have been delivered to NHS staff over the last two weeks. | Meanwhile, Downing Street said 390 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks, alcohol wipes and aprons, have been delivered to NHS staff over the last two weeks. |
| The prime minister's official spokesperson said the government was working with a number of suppliers which had come forward with offers of PPE, or proposals to manufacture more. | The prime minister's official spokesperson said the government was working with a number of suppliers which had come forward with offers of PPE, or proposals to manufacture more. |
| It follows criticism from some frontline workers over the lack of protective equipment, with staff at one hospital in Essex warning they could "limit services" to patients with coronavirus "to a bare minimum" over fears for their own safety. | It follows criticism from some frontline workers over the lack of protective equipment, with staff at one hospital in Essex warning they could "limit services" to patients with coronavirus "to a bare minimum" over fears for their own safety. |
| The prime minister's spokesperson also said the NHS will be sent 30 new ventilators next week and promised "hundreds" more would follow. | The prime minister's spokesperson also said the NHS will be sent 30 new ventilators next week and promised "hundreds" more would follow. |
| The NHS is reported to have 8,175 ventilators and the government believes up to 30,000 ventilators could be needed at the peak of the pandemic. | The NHS is reported to have 8,175 ventilators and the government believes up to 30,000 ventilators could be needed at the peak of the pandemic. |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
| Do you work in the NHS? Have you been tested? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Do you work in the NHS? Have you been tested? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |