Significant numbers from the coronavirus lockdown

After 100 days in lockdown, we look at some of the numbers that have shaped the experience.

– When the UK’s lockdown was announced on March 23, the cumulative number of deaths involving Covid-19 that had occurred in the nation up to that date was 1,000. There had been 950 in England and Wales, 43 in Scotland and seven in Northern Ireland (based on figures for death registrations).

– The death toll, based on registered deaths, passed 10,000 on Day 13 of the lockdown (April 5), 20,000 on Day 21 (April 13), 30,000 on Day 29 (April 21), 40,000 on Day 40 (May 2) and 50,000 on Day 62 (May 24).

– The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said 43,575 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday June 28, up by 25 from 43,550 the day before.

The Government figures did not include all registered deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which – as of June 30 – totalled just under 55,000.

– Britain’s economy is set to plunge by 10.2% in 2020 and global activity will take a hit of more than 12 trillion US dollars (£9.6 trillion) from the coronavirus pandemic by the end of 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned.

In an update to its already grim set of forecasts in April, the IMF said it now expects the global economy to contract by 4.9% in 2020 compared with the 3% it predicted two months ago.

– Some economists have said the crisis could see levels of unemployment return to the three million-plus witnessed in the 1980s.

– The lockdown seems to have also had an impact on the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) decline.

“Reduction in road vehicle activity has taken us back to levels similar to the 1950s,” said Dr David Carslaw, a reader in urban air pollution at the University of York.

He added: “In terms of emissions … we’ve probably gone back to the early 1900s.”

Published: 01/07/2020 by Radio NewsHub

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