Another 138 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, as the country’s second wave continues to gather pace. 

A further 18,890 positive tests have also been reported, according to the latest figures, which show a third consecutive day of more than 100 deaths. That brings the UK’s death toll to 43,293, and the total number of cases to 673,622.

The last time the UK recorded more than 100 deaths before this week was on June 10. 

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 58,500 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

It comes amid growing anger at the Government’s new three tier system and calls for a ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown. 

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Earlier on Thursday, NHS England said a further 81 people who tested positive for coronavirus had died in hospitals in the country, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in those settings to 30,743.

Patients were aged between 40 and 99. All but three patients, aged between 67 and 86, had known underlying health conditions. The deaths were between August 17 and October 14, with the majority on or after October 9.

Three other deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

Across the UK, Government figures say 4,941 patients were in hospital on Tuesday, with 563 in ventilator beds by Wednesday.

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that the country had recorded 13 more deaths in the past 24 hours and 1,351 positive tests.

There are 601 people in Scottish hospital confirmed to have the virus, up by 31 in 24 hours.

Of these patients, 13 are in intensive care, up by two.

There have been a further 727 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in Wales, meanwhile, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 33,041.

Public Health Wales said 10 further deaths had also been reported, with the total number since the beginning of the pandemic rising to 1,698.

In Northern Ireland, there were four deaths reported on Thursday, taking the toll recorded by the Department of Health to 606.

There were 763 new Covid-19 cases in the country in the last 24-hour reporting period, bringing the total to 23,878.

There are 201 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital, with 24 in intensive care.

The latest data comes as a ‘lockdown war’ begins, with Manchester fighting back against a Government plan to put it under tier three restrictions. London is set to be placed under tier two.

In Durham, nearly 1,000 students have tested positive for Covid-19 in one week.

Elsewhere, Italy has been added to the UK’s travel quarantine list – but the Greek island of Crete has been removed.

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