UK coronavirus death toll hits 1,801 after biggest daily jump

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - The death toll from coronavirus in the U.K. surged to 1,801, after another 393 fatalities were recorded over the last 24 hours, the biggest single-day jump, British health authorities announced on Tuesday.

The National Health Service England said that 19-year-old with no underlying conditions was among those who died.

The Department of Health said: “As of 9am 31 March, a total of 143,186 people have been tested of which 25,150 tested positive.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is in self-isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus, hosted a Cabinet meeting with his ministers via video conferencing. It was the first ever digital cabinet.

He told ministers: “The situation is going to get worse before it gets better -- but it will get better.”

Sky News reported that over 90% of passenger airliners in the U.K. have been grounded due to a crash in demand.

British Airways announced that they suspended flights temporarily from Gatwick airport. EasyJet announced on Monday that they grounded all flights.

Labour councillor Pat Midgley became the first politician in office to die from coronavirus. She sat on Sheffield city council.

The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases climbed past 803,600 on Tuesday, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The COVID-19 virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 178 countries and regions around the globe, while over 39,000 people have died as recoveries neared 173,000.