THE UK has recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll since mid-May, with experts warning the trend in deaths will continue to rise in the coming weeks.

The UK has recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll since mid-May, with experts warning the trend in deaths will continue to rise in the coming weeks.

A further 492 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus as of Wednesday, up from 397 the previous day, according to the Government.

These figures are not the number of people who have died in a single day, but instead are the number of deaths reported in the past 24 hours.

It is the highest daily figure since May 19, when 500 deaths were reported, and brings the UK total to 47,742.

Data published on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard shows that, as of 9am on Wednesday, there had been a further 25,177 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the UK total to 1,099,059.

There have been 1,474 new cases of Covid-19 reported in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

Nationally, a total of 25,177 new positive cases were reported last night.

Here is a breakdown of new cases in the region: County Durham: 12,796, was 12,594, a rise of 202; Darlington: 2,177, was 2,151, a rise of 26; Gateshead: 5,387, was 5,249, a rise of 138; Hartlepool: 2,484, was 2,444, a rise of 40; Middlesbrough: 3,813, was 3,739, a rise of 74;

Newcastle: 9,331, was 9,162, a rise of 169; North Tyneside: 4,464, was 4,355, a rise of 109; North Yorkshire: 8,854, was 8,618, a rise of 236; Northumberland: 5,697, was 5,602, a rise of 95;

Redcar and Cleveland: 2,787, was 2,722, a rise of 65; South Tyneside: 3,876; Stockton: 5,071, was 4,929, a rise of 142; Sunderland: 7,788, was 7,653, a rise of 135; York: 3,925, was 3,882, a rise of 43.

Total rise: 1,474.

Care home visitors will be encouraged to meet their loved ones through a window or in an outside setting under new Government guidelines.

So-called “ad-hoc” visits will not be allowed as England moves into its second national lockdown on Thursday, although care homes “will be encouraged and supported to provide safe visiting opportunities”, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.

The guidelines follow clamour from care organisations and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to ensure visitors are allowed to see their loved ones amid concerns about the emotional damage to residents and their family members.

In its guidance, issued less than 12 hours before new lockdown measures are introduced, the DHSC cited a number of ways care homes could allow visitors, including having designated visitor pods with floor-to-ceiling screens and separate entrances.

Outdoor visits with one other person will be permitted, provided the area can be accessed by the loved one without going into the main building.

It also approved visits at windows, “where the visitor doesn’t need to come inside the care home or where the visitor remains in their car, and the resident is socially distanced”.

Theresa May accused Boris Johnson of choosing data to fit his coronavirus policies, as she insisted the Government must reveal the economic cost of lockdown.

The Conservative former prime minister tore into predictions said to have informed her successor’s decision to impose a second national lockdown in England, which will start on Thursday and last until December 2.

But Mr Johnson was not in the chamber to hear the criticism, as the Prime Minister opted to leave shortly after Mrs May got to her feet and acknowledged that she did not “envy” the decisions facing him and the Government.

Mr Johnson had already spent time in the chamber for Prime Minister’s Questions and decided to depart once Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had made his speech during the debate on the new Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.