More People To Die In The UK Despite Passing Peak Expert Warns

The University of Oxford’s professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, said the decline will only be gradual and social distancing must continue to prevent more deaths.

Hundreds of deaths will continue to be reported every day as the UK declines from the peak of its initial coronavirus outbreak, an expert has warned as the toll rose today to 14,576 people.

He said three conclusions could be made from today’s increase of 847 deaths.

“Firstly, the UK is one of the hardest hit countries in the world from this first wave.

“Secondly, the UK seems to have passed the peak for the first wave. Finally, we will likely see only a gradual decrease from the peak and this means we will see several hundreds of announced deaths every day for some time ahead.

“Each one of which will have brought misery to families.”

He added that a “significant number” of deaths needed to be added to the totals to account for those that happen outside of hospitals.

“If we do not continue to socially distance, there will be many more deaths. It seems highly likely that we and the world will face further waves of the virus until a vaccine is in use.

“Facing these future threats requires public support and total honesty about the trade-offs that will be involved in government decisions. I think everyone now realises just how fast this pandemic can move and what the stakes are."

It comes a day after the UK’s lockdown was extended for a further three weeks amid warnings that easing up too early could result in a second outbreak.

There are also 108,692 confirmed cases, up 5,599 from the amount published by the Department of Health yesterday.

The case numbers are accurate to 9am today and the death toll is correct as of 5pm on 16 April.