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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Chris Kitching & Patrick Daly

UK coronavirus hospital death toll rises by 10 in second lowest Sunday increase

The UK's coronavirus hospital death toll has increased by 10 - the second-lowest total on a Sunday since the lockdown began.

England reported nine new deaths and Wales had one for the first time since last week, taking Britain's hospital total to 33,877.

Scotland recorded no new deaths for the 10th consecutive day.

Northern Ireland doesn't usually update its figures at the weekend.

On recent Sundays, the death toll increased by 9 on July 19, 15 on July 12, 19 on July 5 and 21 on June 28. The highest rise on a Sunday was 710 on April 12 as the UK was in the peak of the pandemic.

The latest figures were announced as British holidamakers reacted with fury and frustration over the Government's decision to reimpose strict quarantine rules at short notice on travellers returning from Spain.

Coronavirus deaths in the UK have seen a steady decrease lately (file photo) (PA)

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the Government will not apologise.

NHS England announced nine new deaths in hospitals on Sunday, taking its total to 29,281.

The victims were aged between 36 and 89 years old. All had known underlying health conditions.

The South East and East each reported three deaths. The Midlands recorded two, and one occurred in the North East and Yorkshire region.

London, the North West and South West all reported no new deaths.

Public Health Wales reported one new death, taking its toll to 1,549.

Scotland has recorded four new confirmed cases of coronavirus in a day, according to the latest Scottish Government figures.

A total of 18,551 people have now tested positive for the virus north of the border.

Holidaymakers told to self-isolate upon return from Spain

No deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19 have been recorded for ten consecutive days, meaning the toll remains at 2,491.

The percentage of people testing positive remains at 0.2%, the figures indicate, down from 0.7% from Saturday.

Northern Ireland's death toll remained at 556.

Ministers announced on Saturday that holidaymakers who had not returned from Spain and its islands by midnight would be forced to quarantine for 14 days after Covid-19 second wave fears saw the European country struck off the UK's safe list.

The sudden timing of the announcement was criticised by the travel sector and consumer rights groups but Mr Raab said the Government was right to take "swift" action.

The quick turnaround caught out even Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who is currently in Spain for his summer break and will join thousands of others in being forced to self-isolate for a fortnight on his return to Britain.

The decision was taken to suspend the so-called travel corridor with the UK's most popular holiday destination after Spain recorded more than 900 fresh daily Covid-19 cases for two days running.

Mr Raab told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "The data we got was on the Friday, it showed a big jump right across mainland Spain. That was then assessed yesterday afternoon and we took the decision as swiftly as we could.

"And we can't make apologies for doing so.

"We must be able to take swift, decisive action, particularly in relation to localised, or internationally in relation to Spain or a particular country, where we see we must take action.

Passengers on a flight from Madrid arrive at Heathrow Airport (PA)

"Otherwise, we risk reinfection into the UK, potentially a second wave here and then another lockdown.

"So, yes, I understand it is disruptive for those going through this who are in Spain or have been considering going but we must though be able to take swift, decisive action to protect the UK, because we've made such progress in getting the virus down, and prevent the virus retaking hold in the UK."

The Cabinet minister conceded there is an "element of personal responsibility" involved when telling those arriving from Spain to self-isolate but stressed there are "penalties for non-compliance".

Mr Raab used his Sunday morning appearance to issue a warning to rogue employers, saying no worker following quarantine guidance should be penalised - including by being put on to statutory sick pay.

"We expect employers to show those employees who will have to quarantine because of the law (change) the flexibility they need," he added.

"If someone is following the law in relation to quarantine and self-isolating the way they should, they can't have penalties taken against them."

Labour criticised the Government's handling of the decision, labelling it "frankly shambolic".

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the rapid way Spain had been removed from the safe list had left holidaymakers "confused and distressed" and called for financial support for those now forced to shut themselves away on their return home.

He told Sophy Ridge: "The way in which this decision has been communicated is obviously causing anxiety.

"When the Government makes decisions, whether it is putting a city like Leicester into lockdown or telling holidaymakers they are going to have to quarantine for 14 days, they have got to back it up with financial support for people."

Consumer rights and travel groups expressed frustration at the lack of warning over the suspension of the travel corridor, with Tui, the UK's biggest tour operator, questioning why "we didn't get more notice of this announcement" with thousands of Britons flocking to Spain over the weekend.

Travellers also hit out at the Government's blanket decision to include the Spanish islands in the isolation measures.

The Foreign Office is now advising against all but essential travel to mainland Spain but the quarantine measures also apply to the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, such as Mallorca and Ibiza, despite having lower infection rates.

Zeta Hill, a 35-year-old teacher from Essex, has been on holiday in Majorca for 12 days and is due to fly back with husband Stuart, 51, on Tuesday.

She said there was "no logic" to the decision to include the Balearic Islands in the announcement.

"We are not on mainland Spain and cases on the islands have been really low," she said.

"We haven't gone near the mainland. We feel so safe here."

Passengers arriving to Gatwick Airport from Spain on Sunday morning expressed their frustration at the quarantine rule change.

Those disembarking from a flight from Barcelona that landed shortly before 9am now face two weeks of self-isolation.

Philip Bradby, 55, and Marina Wilson, 40, from Bournemouth, said they had returned from holiday early due to the shut down of the travel corridor with Spain.

"I think it's quite poor that they did it so instantaneously," Mr Bradby said.

Jill Witte, 53, arriving back in the country with her two daughters and husband, said the quarantine rule changes would "massively" inconvenience the family.

"We were shocked, it didn't look like that was coming, otherwise we wouldn't have gone," she said.

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