UK death toll tops 30,000 as government looks to ease lockdown

Britain's target of 100,000 tests a day was missed again

epa08403142 Members of the public pass Tower Bridge, Central London, Britain, 05 May, 2020. Britons are now in their sixth week of lockdown due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which causes the Covid-19 disease.  EPA/WILL OLIVER
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The UK’s death toll in the coronavirus pandemic has risen above 30,000.

Another 649 deaths were announced on Wednesday, taking the toll to 30,076. The UK has the highest death toll in Europe.

The government’s target of 100,000 tests a day was missed again with 69,463 screenings conducted on Wednesday.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the government provided £3.2bn (Dh14.49bn/US$3.94bn) to local councils.

Mr Jenrick confirmed the government was looking at ways to ease the lockdown.

He said the aim was to “get people back to work safely”, reunite families and friends, and “reintroduce the things that make life worth living”.

The UK has a target of 100,000 tests a day and has only reached that on a couple of days near the end of April.

Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted the testing target to be a laboratory capacity of 200,000 tests a day by the end of May.

Mr Johnson said he “bitterly” regretted the coronavirus epidemic raging in Britain’s nursing homes.

epa08397827 A handout photo made available by no. 10 Downing Street of Britain's Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick holding a digital press conference at no. 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 02 May 2020. Britons are now in their fifth week of lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Countries around the world are taking increased measures to stem the widespread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease.  EPA/ANDREW PARSONS / DOWNING STREET HANDOUT  HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick at the 10 Downing Street in London. EPA

“At every stage, as we took the decisions that we made, we were governed by one overriding principle and aim, and that was to save lives and to protect our NHS,” he told Parliament.

“There will be a time to look at what decisions we took and whether we could have taken different decisions.”

The road to normality

The UK lockdown, which began on March 23, imposes strict restrictions on public activity and business.

The good news for the UK is that the number of new deaths and hospital cases has started to fall.

Mr Johnson is expected to lay out the road to normality on Sunday.

The government said any relaxation would be gradual to prevent a second rapid rise in coronavirus cases.