The toll of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK suddenly increased to 26,097 dead Wednesday, the second heaviest in Europe after Italy, due to the inclusion of retirement homes, health services said. The report of Tuesday, which related only to hospitals, reported 21,678 dead. A total of 165,221 cases (+4,076) have been officially confirmed, said Foreign Minister Dominic Raab at a press conference.
>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Wednesday April 29
Feeling of forgetfulness
Up to now, the daily reports from the Ministry of Health have only included hospitals. The managers of retirement homes had sounded the alarm, believing that they had been forgotten not only by the statistics but also by the measures taken by the authorities to provide health workers with tests and protective equipment.
Overall, the authorities believe that the pandemic has started to recede in the United Kingdom, with contaminations, hospitalizations and deaths having taken a downward turn. But they fear an upsurge in the event of relaxation of the confinement in place since March 23.
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Before moving on to a deconfinement, the British authorities say they want to observe a clear decline in the epidemic but also to ensure that they have sufficient means of screening, tracing and protection.