UPDATE on coronavirus (#COVID19) testing in the UK:

As of 9am 31 March, a total of 143,186 people have been tested of which 25,150 tested positive.

As of 5pm on 30 March, of those hospitalised in the UK, 1,789 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/ctiAd1ty9p

— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) March 31, 2020

This had been widely predicted and, indeed, follows the pattern or some other countries but even so the scale of what is happening comes as something of a shock. The forecasts earlier in the week of the eventual UK death total being 20k don’t now look exaggerated.

One thing is for sure the more old people are losing their lives the more people are taking note of the government warnings.

Quite where this will end is hard to say but the growing toll certainly adds to the fear in the vulnerable groups.

Mike Smithson