CORONAVIRUS cases in the UK have risen by more than 400 since yesterday - the biggest single jump since cases were first confirmed.
Almost 2,000 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19, according to the latest statistics this afternoon from the government.
However, it is thought that the true number of cases could be 55,000, as many people with mild symptoms are not being tested or diagnosed.
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UPDATE on coronavirus (#COVID19) testing in the UK:
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) March 17, 2020
As of 9am 17 March 2020, a total of 50,442 people have been tested:
48,492 negative
1,950 positive
The latest confirmed number of deaths will be announced later today.
The digital dashboard will be updated later today. pic.twitter.com/ob25TmIowt
The number of confirmed cases in Oxfordshire remains 23, according to Public Health England data.
In the UK, the number of deaths has risen to 71.
The Government's chief scientific adviser said around 55,000 people in the UK are thought to have coronavirus and the aim is for fewer than 20,000 people to die from it.
Sir Patrick Vallance said the number of deaths was 'horrible' and there would still be a huge amount of strain on the health service from Covid-19.
During a hearing of the Health Select Committee, chairman Jeremy Hunt asked Sir Patrick whether the expected death rate was one fatality for every 1,000 cases, which would mean that there are 'potentially 55,000 cases' at present.
Sir Patrick said: "We've tried to get a handle on that in Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) and if you put all the modelling information together, that's a reasonable ballpark way of looking at it.
"It's not more accurate than that."
He said the measures introduced on Monday should 'have a very significant effect on the peak' and lead to a reduction in cases and deaths after two to three weeks.
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