A further 684 people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total to 3,605.

The figure, released on Friday afternoon by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), covers the period from 5pm on Wednesday to 5pm on Thursday. The total, 3,605, marks a total day-on-day increase of 23%.

Meanwhile, as of 9am on Friday, 38,168 people in the UK had tested positive for the virus, out of 173,784 tests carried out.

There was a discrepancy of two between the number of overnight UK deaths released by the DHSC, and a regional breakdown from the four nations. 

Coronavirus deaths 

East of England: 66

London: 161

Midlands: 150

North East & Yorkshire: 62

North West: 88 

South East: 41

South West: 36

Northern Ireland: 12

Wales: 24

Scotland: 46

Earlier this week, the Office for National statistics revealed the virus had accounted for 1% of all deaths in England and Wales in the week ending March 20 – 103 cases in total.

Those figures included people dying outside of hospitals whose death certificates mentioned Covid-19, including in combination with other health conditions.