UK COVID-19 death toll rises to 43,230

Another 149 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 43,230, the British Department of Health and Social Care said on Thursday.

The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

As of Thursday morning, 307,980 people have tested positive for the disease in Britain, a daily increase of 1,118, according to the department, Xinhua reported.

As of Thursday morning, there have been 8,710,292 tests of the novel coronavirus in the country, with 167,023 tests on Wednesday, said the department.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday that the current 2-metre social distancing rule will be loosened from 4 July to “1 metre plus” in England so as to further ease the coronavirus lockdown.

Johnson also announced that from 4 July, pubs, restaurants and hairdressers, among others, will be able to reopen, providing they adhere to COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

However, some experts have warned that the chances of catching COVID-19 are going up in Britain.