BRITAIN'S coronavirus death toll has risen to 281 today with news an 18-year-old has become the country's youngest victim.

The UK has now seen the number of people infected with the killer bug more than quadruple to 5,683 in just six days.

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It comes as Brits today appeared to ignore the strict warnings to stay at home and poured into parks and onto beaches.

The government has urged people to not going outside unless absolutely necessary to stop the virus spreading.

Seven more people died in Wales, and three more have been killed from the bug in Scotland, while another elderly patient has now died in Northern Ireland.

As the UK total rises, Wales has 351 positive cases while Scotland is tackling 416 infected people.

It was revealed yesterday a 41-year-old died after contracting the disease, becoming the UK's youngest victim.

In the past 24 hours we have seen 48 more deaths in Britain, with a rise of more than 1,500 cases.

Experts fear the country is about two weeks behind Italy and as such we need to get a grip on the growing number of infections.

It comes after Boris Johnson said without "drastic action" cases will double every five to six days.

BRITAIN BATTLES THE BUG

Speaking at the daily press conference at Downing Street, Boris Johnson said: "I want to thank everybody in the country today for the whole effort we are collectively making.

"You name it, absolutely everybody who is keeping this country going today.

"I want to thank everyone who didn't visit their mum for Mother's Day, but Skyped them or rang them instead.

"Thank you for your sacrifice, I know how tough it must be."

He urged people to follow the government’s advice over coronavirus saying: “You have to stay two metres apart and you have to follow the social distancing.”

Today letters to around 1.5million of Britain's most vulnerable have been sent out by the government – telling them to stay at home to save their lives.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed this morning thousands at risk of not recovering from coronavirus have officially been told to stay in for 12 weeks.

STARK WARNING

Nicola Sturgeon today announced new measures in the fight against coronavirus as the number of people dying with the disease in Scotland reached 10.

With cafes, bars, restaurants, cinemas and other such venues being told to close, Ms Sturgeon condemned the "tiny minority" of bars that stayed open on Saturday.

The First Minister said: "Let me be blunt – in doing so they put lives at risk.

"My message to them is close now. We will have emergency powers in days to force you to close and we will use these powers if we have to."

A fit mum aged 28 struck down by coronavirus says she hopes her suffering will act as a warning to youngsters — telling them: “It felt like the devil was inside me.” 

Nurses in protective gear hooked up Jamie Baggett to an oxygen tank in an isolation room less than a week after coming down with a chest infection.

Jamie told The Sun: “I didn’t travel abroad or even come into contact with anyone I knew to have the virus.

“I’m generally fit, I go to the gym quite a lot, I eat healthily and I enjoy my spin classes. But the symptoms escalated quickly.”

Brits have been begged to practise social distancing to stop the virus from spreading to those at risk of becoming seriously unwell.

Experts say that older people and those with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to the deadly bug, which has infected at least 5,000 in the UK.

The only way to think about this is a war, where we look at what the entire resources of the nation are and how we can best deploy those to save lives.

Today PM Boris Johnson told Sun readers not to visit their mum's on Mothering Sunday, writing: "I know that everyone’s strongest instinct is to go and see their mother in person, to have a meal together, to show them how much you love them.

"But I am afraid that this Mothering Sunday, the single best present that we can give — we who owe our mothers so much — is to spare them the risk of catching a very dangerous disease.

"And why? Because if your mother is elderly or vulnerable, then I am afraid all the statistics show that she is much more likely to die from coronavirus, or Covid-19. We cannot disguise or sugar-coat the threat."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock vowed to use the nation's resources to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

He said: "The only way to think about this is a war, where we look at what the entire resources of the nation are and how we can best deploy those to save lives.

"We've got to think about how we bring all the resources of the country to get through this."

He revealed today more than 4,000 heroic retired healthcare workers have returned to work to help battle the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Hancock tweeted how he was "delighted" with the response but urged "many more" to sign up, adding: "Your NHS needs you."

He added that everything possible was being done to avoid a peak in cases as Mr Johnson last night said he was "absolutely confident" the country could send coronavirus "packing" in 12 weeks.

Mr Johnson added British experts expect to start trials for a vaccine against Covid-19 within a month, although expectations are that a vaccine will take at least a year.

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The Queen is currently self-isolating in Windsor Castle having cancelled public events in Cheshire and Camden.

Her message to protect the most vulnerable comes as supermarkets were put under immense strain amid panic-buying Brits.

Last week, key workers who will play a role in fighting coronavirus were named including nurses, police officers and delivery drivers.

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