Europe’s worst outbreak of the coronavirus hit another milestone on Tuesday as Britain’s death toll passed the 40,000 mark.
Data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) linked 41,020 deaths to the virus between the first week of March and May 8.
But the true death toll could be much higher, with the number of excess deaths – deaths above the usual average – topping 53,000.
The numbers of coronavirus-related deaths continue to fall in Britain, however, and in the week up to May 8 fell by more than a third when compared to the week before.
Coronavirus deaths in the UK’s care homes fell by 31 per cent, the data showed, but the total number of people who have now died with Covid-19 in care facilities has passed 10,000.
With 597 fatalities, England’s north-west reported the highest number of deaths for the first time since the outbreak began.
The ONS said any trends in the data should be interpreted with caution, as British bank holidays were likely to affect the number of deaths being registered.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been criticised for his initial response to the global pandemic, and has faced weeks of scrutiny over the availability of tests for the virus.
As the figures were released, British MPs heaped yet more pressure on the Conservative government, calling its testing regime “inadequate” during the early stages of the infection.
Despite a recent surge in the daily number of tests being conducted, the country continues to fall short of government targets regularly.
In a 19-page letter to Mr Johnson on Tuesday, MPs on a parliamentary committee said: "Testing capacity has been inadequate for most of the pandemic so far.
"Capacity was not increased early enough or boldly enough. Capacity drove strategy, rather than strategy driving capacity," they said.
The findings by the House of Commons science and technology committee came after six sessions of evidence involving scientists, public health experts and government advisers, which also looked at other countries' responses to the virus.
On Sunday, Britain carried out 100,678 tests for coronavirus, but 1,215 tests were performed on March 10 – two weeks before a nationwide lockdown was ordered and as cases soared.
Lack of testing capacity was also a factor for the decision to stop contact tracing on March 12, the committee said.
Health Minister Matt Hancock made an army of contact tracers a key part of a new approach to tackling the spread of the virus, alongside wider community testing and the roll out of a smartphone app.
He announced on Monday that 21,000 contact tracers had been recruited, and testing has been expanded to include everyone aged five and over with symptoms.
A new target of 200,000 tests per day has been set for the end of this month.
The government aims to use data from all three sources to inform its easing of lockdown measures, including the partial reopening of schools.
Coronavirus around the world
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
RESULT
Chelsea 2
Willian 13'
Ross Barkley 64'
Liverpool 0
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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