U.K. Virus Deaths Slow as Government Mulls Tighter Lockdown
(Bloomberg) --
U.K. coronavirus virus deaths declined even as the government warned it may consider tightening national lockdown measures.
The U.K. reported 621 new coronavirus deaths, down from 708 on Saturday, and that left fatalities from the outbreak at 4,934. According to health authorities, 47,806 people have tested positive for the virus.
Imperial College London Professor Neil Ferguson, who advises the government on its response to the pandemic, told the BBC on Sunday that he sees the U.K. outbreak peaking in the next 7-10 days. Ferguson predicted the death toll across the nation would be in the range of 7,000 to just over 20,000.
U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Sunday criticized what he described as a “minority” of Britons who are ignoring social-distancing rules to sunbathe or gather in parks. He said the government would not hesitate to ban all outdoor exercise if current rules prove insufficient to reduce the infection rate.
In Spain, the level of new deaths from the coronavirus dropped for the third consecutive day on Sunday, with 674 fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising hopes that the worst of the country’s outbreak may be over. Italy, which still has the most deaths in Europe, reported Saturday the lowest number of fatalities since March 26
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