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The number of Britons who died of the new coronavirus appears to be higher than previously thought. The Office for National Statistics announced on Tuesday that the limit of 20,000 deaths had already passed by April 17.
On April 18, the British government reported 13,917 deaths. However, according to the statistics agency, on April 17, 21,284 people had been diagnosed with the coronavirus in the UK.
The British death toll was then higher than the Spanish one but lower than the Italian one at the time.
The difference arose because the government only reported the deaths in the hospitals, but not the deaths outside those, such as in care homes.
A sharp increase in the death toll in care homes in England and Wales has led to a rapid rise in the general official death toll in recent weeks.
Between April 13 and 19, 7,316 residents of nursing homes died, almost three times more than three weeks before.
The British Ministry of Health announced on Monday that 21,092 people died in hospitals after they were diagnosed with the new coronavirus.
Health Minister Matt Hancock said on Friday that Britain is at the peak of the epidemic. According to him, it is still too early for relaxation.
