UK positive coronavirus cases jump by 676 in 24 hours

LONDON

The U.K. Department of Health announced on Wednesday that the number of positive coronavirus cases increased by over 676 in 24 hours, as the social fallout from the outbreak continues apace in the country.

The Health Department said in a statement: “Across the U.K., there have been 56,221 concluded tests of which 53,595 were confirmed negative, and 2,626 positive.”

This was an increase of 676 since the day before. On Tuesday, the death toll across the U.K. stood at 71, with Wednesday’s figures due to come later on today.

Scotland and Wales announced that schools would close by Friday, with a decision in England set to be announced imminently.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “At this stage, I cannot promise that they will reopen before the summer holidays.”

The internationally famous Glastonbury Festival was postponed, organizers said Wednesday, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Glastonbury 2020 was set to be the festival’s 50th anniversary.

The BBC announced it has suspended the filming of some its most famous soaps, including EastEnders, in order to prioritize providing coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.

British supermarkets, including Sainsburys and Asda, introduced restrictions on the amount of certain items – including food, toiletries, and cleaning products – customers can buy to counter stockpiling. They said there was no issue in their supply chains, but the measures were necessary so everyone had the opportunity to buy essentials.

Britain’s new Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey said: “We are facing an emergency. I didn’t think that three days into the job I would be sitting in a virtually empty building. But we are ready to do whatever we have to do.”

A 54-year-old patient of Turkish-origin died on Wednesday, according to a statement from the British Alevi Federation.

After emerging in Wuhan, China, the novel coronavirus has claimed more than 7,870 lives globally, according to the WHO.

Over 194,000 cases of the virus have been confirmed in at least 164 countries and territories, with Europe as its epicenter, the international health body added.

Despite rising cases, most people who get infected suffer mild symptoms and recover.