UK now has world’s third-highest virus-related death toll

LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom has the third-highest coronavirus death toll in the world after the British government published new figures Wednesday that include deaths outside of hospitals.

After factoring in deaths in all settings such as care homes, the number of people in Britain who have died after testing positive for the virus has now hit 26,097, way ahead of the 21,678 announced on Tuesday.

Until now, hospital deaths have been reported daily, while deaths in nursing homes and other settings were reported separately on a weekly basis.

Under the new measurement, the UK has leapfrogged Spain and France in Europe, with only Italy ahead.

The US has the world’s highest death toll.

The upward revision prompted renewed criticism of the government’s approach throughout the crisis.

The new leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the scale of deaths in the UK is “truly dreadful” and has accused the Conservative government of being too slow in putting the country into lockdown, in testing people for the virus and in getting critical protective gear for medical workers.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab sought to ease any worries, saying the additional deaths were a cumulative total going back to March 2.

“They don’t represent a sudden surge in the number of deaths,” he said at the government’s daily press briefing.

In spite of that, it is becoming increasingly clear that the UK could end up with the second-highest coronavirus death toll in the world, partly because Italy is considered to be around a couple of weeks ahead in the epidemic.

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