The United Kingdom coronavirus death toll has risen by 241 on Tuesday, the highest increase in four months. The latest figures also confirm an additional 21,331 Covid-19 infections.
On Tuesday, health officials confirmed 162 coronavirus patients had died in UK hospitals – 134 were in England, 15 in Scotland, 10 in Wales and three in Northern Ireland, reports Daily Star.
It is the highest number recorded since June 3, when 254 fatalities were announced. More than 6,400 people are in hospital with the virus, of whom 629 are in ventilator beds.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director of Public Health England, said: “The trend in deaths is rising sharply. Tragically we know that older people and those with underlying health conditions tend to suffer more if they become unwell.
The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK now stands at 43,967, with 762,542 cases.
Wales will impose a two-week "fire-break" lockdown from Friday in which everybody apart from essential workers must stay at home to combat an accelerating second wave of Covid-19, reports Reuters.
The lockdown will begin on Friday at 1700 GMT and end on November 9. Everybody but essential workers will have to work from home. All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourist businesses will have to close in Wales, as will places of worship.
All four countries of the United Kingdom are seeing a resurgence of Covid-19, and devolved governments and local councils are introducing a range of measures to try to stem the rise.
Northern Ireland started a four-week period of tougher curbs on Friday, while Scotland has imposed new rules for hospitality.
England has moved to a three-tier approach that has led to clashes between central and regional government.
After a public row with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of attempting to sacrifice the north of England to save jobs in the south, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said a stricter lockdown could be imposed there within days.
Johnson has threatened to put the area into "Tier 3" - the highest level of restrictions forcing pubs and bars to close and banning different households from mixing indoors - against the will of local leaders if agreement is not possible.
Johnson has so far rejected calls for England to adopt the same approach as Wales and Northern Ireland and implement a countrywide lockdown.