Britain's COVID-19 death toll rises 539 to 30,615: minister

Ambulance and air ambulance crews work to stabilise a patient with possible the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) symptoms, who was found unconscious having suffered a cardiac arrest while cycling in Botley near Southampton, May 06, 2020. Picture taken May 6, 2020. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS

Britain's COVID-19 death toll has risen by 539 to 30,615, according to figures announced on Thursday by foreign minister Dominic Raab.

The figures, collated by government agency Public Health England and equivalents in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, comprise deaths in all settings following positive coronavirus tests and cover the period up to 1600 GMT on Wednesday.

Another dataset published by Britain's Office for National Statistics published on Tuesday showed a higher toll. This included deaths where coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate, and the data is only published weekly.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas and Paul Sandle, writing by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)