Britain’s death toll from the coronavirus has topped 32,000, according to an updated count released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics.

The figures pushed Britain past Italy to become the second-most affected country after the United States.

The new toll has not yet been incorporated into the official daily figures, which record the current number of deaths as 29,427.

The health ministry had previously announced only the deaths in hospitals of those who had tested positive for the virus.

However, the ONS figures are released weekly and include deaths in care homes and the community over periods up to two weeks prior.

The 32,000 figure reflects the situation as it was towards the end of April, meaning Britain has probably had the highest official death toll in Europe for days.

However, the UK has insisted international comparisons are fraught because of different reporting methods and criteria.

“No country reports on death registrations data as fast, frequently, or to such breadth and depth as we can in the UK,” Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at the ONS, stated on Twitter.

Source: AFP