The total number of Britons who have died after testing positive for coronavirus will "almost certainly" pass 10,000 this weekend, a former public health director has told Sky News.
Professor John Ashton said the figure will not include deaths in care homes and in the community, meaning "we really don't know the full picture" about COVID-19.
He also warned that the UK must focus more on shielding the elderly and vulnerable from the coronavirus, with some estimates suggesting that cases have now been identified in 50% of care homes nationwide.
"There have been some modelling estimates in the planning guidance that suggest once you get coronavirus into a care home you might expect as many as 30% deaths," the former president of the Faculty of Public Health said.
"You're talking about a very frail and vulnerable population – usually people in their 80s and 90s, maybe with dementia – and we can't just write them off."
Advertisement
On Friday, it was confirmed that another 980 patients have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus – surpassing Spain and Italy's worst recorded daily totals.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a total of 8,958 have now died in hospital – and on Thursday, a further 5,706 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK.
More from Covid-19
Prof Ashton claimed the UK has often been slow to act during the pandemic – citing confusion over whether face masks are a useful deterrent against the coronavirus as an example.
He added that a lack of extensive testing has made it difficult for public health officials to know where COVID-19 was spreading fastest.
"The lockdown will now have to continue for quite a long time," Prof Ashton said. "I think it's really important for the government to be completely honest about the numbers.
"There's a lot of worry now on social media that we're not being given the full picture. People need to be treated like adults."
Prof Ashton, who formerly served as Cumbria's regional director of public health, described the government's approach to informing the public about COVID-19 as "paternalistic… as though it's been frightened to panic people".
He said: "If you treat people as adults they're more likely to behave as adults rather than as delinquents. We're seeing the delinquency play out in house parties in Manchester and other kinds of things because people aren't really trusting what's going on."
His warning came as Downing Street gave an update on Boris Johnson's progress as he recovers from coronavirus.
A statement said that the prime minister "has been able to do short walks between periods of rest" since he was moved back from intensive care and into a hospital ward.
But a Number 10 spokesman warned it was too early to say how long he would need to stay in St Thomas' Hospital in central London.
[contf]
[contfnew]
sky news
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
