UK Covid-19 death toll rises 282 to 36,675

The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of Covid-19 rose by 282 to 36,675, the government said.

"Tragically, 36,675 people have now died," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told reporters at a Downing Street briefing. The government publishes the death toll based on those who definitely had Covid-19; broader figures based on suspected Covid-19 deaths give a bigger toll.

In the 24-hour period up to 9am on Saturday, 116,585 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 2,959 positive results.

Overall a total of 3,348,507 tests have been carried out and 257,154 cases have been confirmed positive.

Referring to the controversy surrounding the PM's adviser, Mr Shapps said the steps were taken only to prevent Dominic Cummings' child being without "the necessary support".

He added: "Mr Cummings is in the public eye, but the reality of the matter is that a four-year-old child's welfare was the important thing.

"Parents ask themselves what they would do if they had if they no one else around and eventually you would have to turn to external support or try and be close enough to your family to provide that care, which is what happened in this case here."