The number of people who have died in hospitals in the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by a further 427.
The total number of Covid-19 hospital deaths in the country now stands at 23,363.
There were 352 deaths in England and 18 in Northern Ireland.
Scotland's death toll rose by 40 to 1,515, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced this afternoon, while Wales saw 17 new deaths.
The tragic figure was announced as England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned the country was "nowhere near the end of the pandemic".
Officials say the current lockdown could continue for months - until the number of new cases drops to less than 1,000 per day.
Earlier today research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the rate of fatalities in poorer areas is double that of their more affluent counterparts.
Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said: “People living in more deprived areas have experienced Covid-19 mortality rates more than double those living in less deprived areas.
"General mortality rates are normally higher in more deprived areas, but so far Covid-19 appears to be taking them higher still.”
The government has said it will not consider lifting the existing lockdown until it can be certain there will be no second peak.
The Prime Minister said the UK had overcome the peak of the virus - an official spokesman did not deny the possibility of lockdown continuing until June.
Asked on Thursday if it would, he replied: “I think we will have to wait for the review to take place and I don’t think it’s wise for me to preempt that.
“What you’ve obviously heard from [Chief Medical Officer] Chris Whitty is that this is a disease that’s going to be around for a significant amount of time.
“He said we have to be realistic, we’re going to have to do a lot of things for a long period of time.”
