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Confirmed UK coronavirus cases rise 714 to 3,983 in biggest leap yet

Health Secretary Matt Hancock arrives at 10 Downing Street, London, as the UK's coronavirus death toll reached 144 as of 1pm on Thursday.
Health secretary Matt Hancock's department has released the latest figures. (PA Images)

The number of confirmed UK coronavirus cases climbed 714 to 3,983, it was announced today.

The Department of Health released the figures today, which represent the biggest leap yet, surpassing Wednesday’s rise of 676.

The number of deaths in patients who were confirmed to have coronavirus stands at 144 but will be updated today.

Globally, there have been more than 245,000 cases confirmed, with more than 10,000 people diagnosed with the infection having died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than half of those were in China and Italy.

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There have also been more than 86,000 recoveries from the infection among those confirmed cases.

Cases in the UK have been spread out across the country, though health secretary Matt Hancock he was looking at an apparent hotspot in the West Midlands, which has seen the most deaths outside of London.

Countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus. (PA graphics)
Countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus. (PA graphics)

He said that at risk groups, including the elderly and people with underlying health conditions, would receive more advice on social distancing.

Hancock told Sky News: “Many of these people have pre-existing health conditions and so will be very worried right now, and I understand that, and they’ll need very specific sets of action – for instance, how do you go about still getting your chemo if you have cancer whilst also social-distancing?

“If you have cancer it’s particularly important to stay away from other people, but you also of course have got to keep going with your chemotherapy.”

He added: “These are some of the most difficult and challenging cases so we’ll be getting in contact with them, but if people think that they are on this list and don’t receive a communication from the NHS, then they also need to get in contact.”