Britain reports jump in Covid-19 deaths as lockdown begins

Britain reported another jump in deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday as the country began a lockdown designed to curb the rapid spread of the disease.

The Health Ministry said hospitals nationwide reported 87 more deaths, taking Britain’s total to 422 out of more than 8,000 confirmed infections.

Medical authorities have tested more than 82,000 people, the ministry said, amid criticism of Britain’s low rate of testing compared with other European nations.

Former health minister Jeremy Hunt told parliament that Britain was testing “virtually no more people than over a week ago,” despite a pledge by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to expand daily tests from 5,000 to 25,000 over the next few weeks.

“And given that this is a vital part of the success of the suppression strategies in South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, can [Health Secretary Matt Hancock] give us an estimated date when we will get back to routine Covid-19 testing in the community of all suspected cases?” Hunt asked Hancock.

Hancock declined to give a date for reaching the target “because we are in the middle of buying the tests that are needed.”

He told lawmakers the government is “ramping up testing as fast as we can, including buying millions of tests.”

Johnson imposed a nationwide lockdown late on Monday, ordering everyone to stay at home except for trips for food shopping, medical needs, or one form of exercise per day.

Hunt warned on Monday that Britain could have one million cases of the virus by the end of next month if, as expected, its trajectory of infection is similar to Italy.

“Unless we radically change direction [by launching mass testing], we will not know where those one million cases are,” he said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned earlier Tuesday that too many people were still using the city’s underground network as Britain began a lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.

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“I cannot say this more strongly: we must stop all non-essential use of public transport now,” Khan said in a series of tweets.

“Employers: please support your staff to work from home unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Khan wrote. “Ignoring these rules means more lives lost.”

He called on the government to halt work at construction sites unless they are for hospitals or other vital services, after images circulated online of crowded underground trains early on Tuesday.

Transport for London (TfL) has run a reduced service, forcing those people who are still travelling to work to squeeze on to fewer trains.

Khan sympathized with many self-employed workers who faced losing all income if they stayed at home and urged Johnson to develop “a proper package of support” for them.

He said TfL is unable to increase its services because “growing numbers of staff are off sick or self-isolating.”

Johnson said the police will be granted powers to enforce the lockdown measures, which will be reviewed on April 11.

Ken Marsh, head of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents officers in London, said he expected enforcement to be “very difficult” due to limited police resources. (dpa)