Another 378 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, on the first day of England’s second national lockdown. 

The latest official figures show that some 24,141 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 1,123,197. The death toll now stands at 48,120.

The grim figures mark the third day in a row where the death toll has reached levels not seen since May, during the first wave. 

Yesterday saw 492 deaths in the UK – the highest since May 19 – while Tuesday’s toll was 397 – the highest since May 27. Today’s figures were delayed by a few hours in being released.

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It comes as the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the furlough scheme would be extended until March, which will come as a relief to workers hit by new restrictions closing businesses to halt the spread of the virus, as the second wave grips Britain. 

Earlier today, NHS England said a further 236 people who tested positive for coronavirus had died in hospital in the country, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in the setting to 33,873.

Patients were aged between 27 and 99. All except 18, aged between 48 and 96, had known underlying health conditions.

The deaths were between October 23 and November 4.

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

In Scotland, which recorded its highest number of deaths since May yesterday, another 39 deaths were recorded, in the past 24 hours, Nicola Sturgeon said.

The First Minister added that the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – has risen to 2,966.

She said the country had also recorded 1,216 positive tests in the past 24 hours, meaning 69,660 people have now tested positive in Scotland, where 95 patients are in intensive care.

Wales, has recorded a further 1,272 cases of Covid-19, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 56,927.

Public Health Wales added that another 30 people had died taking the country’s total since the start of the pandemic to 1,969.

Northern Ireland’s Department of Health reported eight further coronavirus-linked deaths and 516 new cases.

The official death toll recorded now stands at 752, while there have been 41,374 confirmed cases in Northern Ireland.

There are also 126 active outbreaks at care homes, the department added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that the new lockdown would only last four weeks, in an address to the country this evening.

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