The official UK coronavirus death toll has risen to 29,427, after a further 693 people died.

Speaking during today’s daily press conference, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also revealed that 194,990 people have tested positive for the virus, an increase of 4,406 since Monday. He said 84,806 coronavirus tests were carried out in the previous 24 hours.

It follows news that a further 453 deaths were recorded in hospitals over the past 24 hours. England recorded another 366 deaths in hospitals, Wales another 26, Scotland another 44, and 17 in Northern Ireland.

The number announced by the government this afternoon differs from the health service total, as it also includes deaths in care homes and the wider community.

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This figure is different again to one released earlier today by the Office fore National Statistics, which includes the deaths of people suspected to have Covid-19, but not confirmed. The ONS death toll is over 32,000 – making the UK the worst-hit European country in the pandemic.

According to the ONS, there were 29,710 suspected Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales, as of May 2. Once deaths for Scotland and Northern Ireland are included, this brings the total to 32,375. The equivalent number for hospital deaths over this period is 19,643.

It is important to note that other country’s death tolls, such as Italy’s, do not count deaths from suspected cases of coronavirus, meaning their figures, if calculated in the same way, could also potentially be higher. Italy’s death toll from confirmed cases of Covid-19 currently stands at 29,079.

The US currently has the highest coronavirus death toll, with more than 69,000 people died after testing positive for the virus.

Cabinet ministers have said they dislike comparing death tolls between countries, saying that excess mortality – the number of deaths from all causes that exceed the average for the time of year – is a more meaningful metric.

In the ONS data, of the deaths registered up to 24 April, just under 72% occurred in hospital, while 5,890 deaths took place in care homes, 1,306 in private homes and 301 in hospices.

When compared to the week before, this represents a 12.6% fall in hospital deaths, but an increase of 2,500 deaths in care home deaths.

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