Coronavirus: More than 30,000 deaths as Labour says govt “too slow” to act - BBC News

The UK has become the first country in Europe to record more than 30,000 deaths linked to coronavirus. It’s the word’s second-highest death toll after the United States. Labour said the UK’s high death rate was due to the government being “too slow” to act on the lockdown, testing, and providing protective equipment to frontline workers.

30,076 people are now reported to have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community. Boris Johnson defended his government’s record and signalled that some lockdown measures could be eased next week.

Mass testing is seen as crucial for controlling the pandemic, allowing cases to be isolated and contained. But for the fourth day running the government missed its daily target of 100,000 tests. The Prime Minister has now pledged to increase testing to 200,000 each day by the end of May.

Huw Edwards presents BBC News at Ten reports from Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg and Health Editor Hugh Pym.

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