UK coronavirus death toll rises to 1,415

LONDON

The U.K.-wide death toll from coronavirus is 1,415, an increase of 180 deaths in 24 hours, British health authorities said Monday, even as a key government advisor said the outbreak may be slowing down locally.

“In the UK, we can see some early signs of slowing in some indicators,” Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, told BBC Radio 4. “Less so in deaths because deaths are lagged by long time from when the measures come into force.

“But we look at the numbers of new hospital admissions today, for instance, that does seem to be slowing down a little bit now. It’s not yet plateaued as the numbers are increasing each day but the rate of that increase has slowed.”

Separately, Charles, prince of Wales, is out of coronavirus self-isolation, according to his spokesman.

The 71-year-old heir to the throne announced last week that he tested positive for the virus.

His wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 72, tested negative for the virus last week and is in a 14-day self-isolation, set to last until the end of this week.

The impact of the outbreak is still being felt in the island, however.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief advisor Dominic Cummings, 48, developed symptoms of coronavirus over the weekend and is in self-isolation, local media reported.

Andrew Goddard, head of the Royal College of Physicians, said that around a quarter of doctors off work are either infected with coronavirus or in isolation as a family member or person they live with is infected.

“At the moment, we think it’s more doctors self-isolating with family members, though there are some off sick themselves,” he said.

“This is really impacting a lot in emergency departments, and London is in a much worse position than elsewhere at the moment, but it will come to other places.”

Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections over the 741,000 mark, with over 35,000 deaths. Nearly 157,000 have recovered from the infection.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China in December, the virus has spread to 177 countries and regions.