THE UK yesterday saw the biggest day-on-day rise in the number of coronavirus patient deaths as the Government comes under increasing pressure over virus tests.

Here are some of the latest updates about the global pandemic.

• The Department of Health confirmed that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 29,474 as of 9am on April 1.

• Last night the number of cases reported by each affected local authority in the North-East and North Yorkshire are: Newcastle 225; Sunderland 109; County Durham 131; Darlington 24; Hartlepool 15; Redcar & Cleveland 51; Stockton 60; North Tyneside 87; South Tyneside 44; Gateshead 80; Northumberland 92; Middlesbrough 59; York 35 and North Yorkshire 149

• Since figures were last reported 24 hours ago, a further 563 across the UK have died after testing positive for the virus.

• Patients were aged between 13 and 99 years old

• Public Health England said there had been 24 new death reported across the North-East and North Yorkshire.

• The patients died at hospitals run by the following trusts:

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust - 4

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust - 2

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - 2

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 4

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust - 6

Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 3

York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 3

• A temporary morgue is being built in east London as the coronavirus death toll continues to rise. Building work is under way on Wanstead Flats in the Manor Park area of Newham.

• Business Secretary Alok Sharma warned a "dangerous" second peak of cases could develop if the social distancing measures imposed by the Government were lifted too early.

• Businesses will now start benefitting from £22bn in the form of business rates relief and grants of up to £25,000.

• Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has written to the Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg, calling for MPs to be able "hold the Government to account" during the coronavirus emergency.

• Loss of sense of smell and taste could be the best way to tell whether you have Covid-19, researchers have said.

• Police forces have been told people should not be punished for travelling a "reasonable distance" to exercise following criticism of heavy-handed tactics used to enforce the Covid-19 lockdown.

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said 46 more Britons who had been on a Tui cruise ship quarantined due to coronavirus have returned to the UK.