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The latest figures show London is the worst-affected part of the UK with 621 confirmed cases.
Coronavirus: London worst affected by outbreak – 621 cases, 25 deaths
The latest figures show London is the worst-affected part of the UK with 621 confirmed cases.
A total of 71 people have died after contracting coronavirus, with 1,950 confirmed cases. London is the worst-affected part of the country, and Sky News analysis shows 25 deaths have been in the capital. Ten deaths have also been recorded in the West Midlands. On Tuesday, the number of fatalities in England increased by 14. NHS England said those who died were aged between 45 and 93 and all had underlying health conditions. As of 9am on Tuesday morning, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK had risen by 407 over a 24-hour period. An estimated 621 cases are in London, representing 32% of cases nationwide.
The latest figures come after the government ramped up measures against the coronavirus pandemic following new predictions that the UK could otherwise have seen 250,000 deaths. A new document published by the COVID-19 team at London’s Imperial College – which is advising the government on its coronavirus response – warns the current public health threat is the “most serious” from a respiratory virus since the Spanish Flu in 1918. London mayor, Sadiq Khan explains why the London underground network is still running but at a reduced capacity. They advised the UK adopts a strategy of “epidemic suppression” – for a period of potentially 18 months or more – rather than “mitigation”. Modelling of the “most effective” mitigation strategy examined had revealed that NHS capacities could be exceeded by at least eightfold – and about 250,000 people could die.
Why did the government change its stance?
The Imperial team described the suppression of the coronavirus outbreak as “the only viable strategy at the current time” – even if the “social and economic effects of the measures which are needed to achieve this policy goal will be profound”. On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a significant escalation of UK measures in response to coronavirus, including advising everyone in the country to avoid pubs, clubs, restaurants and theatr
es and to only make essential journeys.
Kenya coronavirus cases rise to seven
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe confirms that three
more patients tested positive for the virus.
Kenya has confirmed three more coronavirus cases, meaning the country now has seven patients with Covid-19. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday confirmed that three more patients had tested positive for the virus. Two of the cases were a couple that travelled from Madrid, Spain, on March 4 through Dubai, arriving in Kenya on March 5. The third case is a Burundian national who travelled from Dubai, UAE, to Kenya. He arrived on March 17 and was picked up by a surveillance team, Mr Kagwe said. “We are tracing persons who may have been in contact with the patients,” he said. He noted that all cases so far are imported.