Coronavirus deaths in UK rise by 621 in a day to 4,934 - including 29 patients with no underlying health conditions: Infections leap by 5,903 to 47,806 – the largest daily rise yet – despite hopes that cases had begun to plateau
- Matt Hancock today took aim at a 'small minority' of people breaking lockdown
- Health Secretary said it is 'quite unbelievable' people are not staying at home
- UK's green spaces and beaches filled up yesterday sparking government fury
- Mr Hancock said UK will ban outdoor exercise if people do not stay at home
- He also said it will be 'hard' to hit 100,000 coronavirus tests by end of April
- He then insisted Boris Johnson is 'okay' despite still being in virus self-isolation
Britain's coronavirus death toll has gone up by 621 to 4,934 - including 29 patients who did not have any underlying health conditions.
Public Health England reported an extra 555 deaths in England, Public Health Wales recorded 12 in Wales and there have been 7 in Northern Ireland.
The level of infections has risen sharply by 5,903 to 47,806 - the largest daily increase yet - dashing hopes that the rate of people getting the disease could be starting to plateau.
The Department of Health also said that, as of 9am on Sunday, a total of 195,524 people have been tested, up from 183,190 the previous day.
NHS England gave the breakdown by region of the 555 deaths of patients inEngland: - East of England 40 - London 174 - Midlands 74 - North East & Yorkshire 103 - North West 47 - South East 81 - South West 36.
They also said of the deaths in England, the patients were aged between 33 years and 103 years old, with 29 of the 555, aged between 35 and 95 years old, having no known underlying health condition.
It came as Matt Hancock blasted sunbathers for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules as he warned the government will ban 'all forms' of outdoor exercise if a 'small minority' refuse to stay at home.
The Health Secretary said it was 'quite unbelievable' some people are still not following government guidance and stressed the plea not to go outside apart from in very specific circumstances was 'not a request, it is a requirement'.
A number of other countries have banned outdoor exercise in a bid to slow the spread of the disease and Mr Hancock said the government is willing to take the same action if people do not comply with existing restrictions.
He said: 'My message is really clear: If you don't want us to have to take the step to ban exercise of all forms outside of your own home, then you have got to follow the rules.
'The vast majority of people are following the rules. Let's not have a minority spoiling it for everybody.'
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson repeated the importance of staying at home this morning as he tweeted he knows it is 'tough' but it will mean 'saving lives'.
Mr Hancock and Mr Johnson's interventions came after a south London park was shut indefinitely yesterday after 3,000 people visited 'despite clear advice' not to as green spaces and beaches across the UK filled up.
Mr Hancock told Sky News: 'It is quite unbelievable frankly to see that there are some people who are not following the advice.'
The government has said that people should only leave their home for food, for medicine, for exercise or to get to work if they absolutely cannot work from where they live.
Mr Hancock said staying at home is 'the best way to control the spread of this virus and the fastest way to get us out of this' as he said the guidance is 'absolutely clear' that people should not be out sunbathing in public.
He said: 'Of course I understand how difficult this is but the problem is that when you go out it is not only that you might directly interact with somebody closer than two metres, it is also that you can spread the virus through touching something which somebody else then touches. You could pick it up that way.
'We are crystal clear in the guidance on what people should and shouldn't do. That guidance is backed up in law. It is not a request, it is a requirement in law and people need to follow it.'
Meanwhile, Mr Hancock admitted this morning that hitting his promise of 100,000 coronavirus tests by the end of April will be 'hard' and that people involved in the efforts will have to 'put their shoulders to the wheel' to hit the target.
He also insisted Mr Johnson is 'okay' despite still being in coronavirus self-isolation, with the Health Secretary saying the PM 'has very much got his hand on the tiller' of the crisis.
Mr Hancock's comments came as:
- Health experts said the UK is now seven to 10 days away from the peak of the coronavirus outbreak.
- Sadiq Khan hit out at commuters for failing to stay at home following the deaths of five London bus workers who tested positive for coronavirus.
- Carrie Symonds, Mr Johnson's pregnant fiancee, said she had spent the last week in bed suffering coronavirus symptoms, but is 'on the mend'.
- Health chiefs fear more than 50 doctors could die 'if the PPE dries up and we have no choice but to treat our patients without the right equipment'.
- The Ministry of Justice said hundreds of risk-assessed prisoners within two months of their release date are to be temporarily released.
- The UK death toll from the virus rose by 708 - bringing the number of coronavirus-related hospital deaths to 4,313 as of 5pm on Friday.

Matt Hancock today took aim at sunbathers flouting coronavirus lockdown rules as he said it was 'unbelievable' a 'small minority' of people are not staying at home

Prime MinisterBoris Johnson today urged people to stay
at home during the coronavirus lockdown

The Queen will tonight deliver a rallying cry to the nation in which she expresses hope that the 'quiet, good-humoured resolve' of the British people will help to overcome the coronavirus crisis
The nation will tonight hear from the Queen as the monarch delivers an address in which she will urge Britain to prove that this generation is 'as strong as any'.
There are fears the current warm weather could tempt people to disobey social distancing measures and the government will be hoping the Queen's address will persuade people to stick to the rules, especially as the sun shines.
Lambeth Council tweeted yesterday to say that Brockwell Park had been shut because of the 'unacceptable' behaviour of some people.
Mr Hancock today said ending lockdown measures 'depends on how people behave' as he urged everyone to stay at home but failed to set out a timeline for life to go back to normal.
He told Sky News: 'Every single person watching this programme can do their bit to get us out of this faster and they do their bit by following the social distancing rules.'
Labour's new leader Sir Keir Starmer said his party will back the government if it decides to ban public exercise.
He told the BBC: 'Yes, we would. We do have to take whatever steps are necessary and social distancing, staying indoors is really difficult for people… but we have got to get through this and every time people break the guidance from the government they put other people at risk.'
It came as it emerged that Mr Hancock and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are locked in a battle over when to lift the economically devastating lockdown.
Mr Sunak has made 'robust' representations to the Health Secretary, arguing that unless a path is mapped now for a swift return to normal economic activity it could cause lasting damage to the country.
Government critics of Mr Hancock argue his 'careerist' fear of being personally blamed for a collapse in the NHS is blinding him to the dangers of a protracted lockdown.
But allies of Mr Hancock hit back last night, saying: 'He is just doing his job, which is to protect the NHS.'
A formal decision about the extension of the strict social distancing rules cannot be made until Good Friday – the earliest point at which its effects would register on the infection figures.
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