UK coronavirus death toll jumps by 148 to 44,798

The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen by 148 overnight.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said 44,798 people had died in the nation's hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for the disease as of 5pm on Friday.

The Government's official figures do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which are thought to have passed 55,000.

The DHSC said a further 820 people had tested positive for the disease, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 288,953.

The UK's individual death tolls now stand as follows:

– England: 40,213

– Scotland: 2,490

– Wales: 1,541

– Northern Ireland: 554

England remains the hardest-hit of the four nations, with 248,895 confirmed cases of the virus compared to 18,340 in Scotland; 15,946 in Wales, and 5,772 in Northern Ireland.

Across the UK, the North West is the region with the highest rate of infection, followed by the North East, then the East Midlands and London.

Leicester continues to suffer the worst rates of any local authority, followed by Ashford, Bradford and Oldham, according to DHSC data.

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