More than 20,000 people in the UK who tested positive for the coronavirus have died, it was announced on Saturday. The UK became the fifth country after the United States, Italy, Spain and France to reach the grim milestone, as the daily toll rose 813 to 20,319 people. Back in mid-March the government's chief scientific adviser said that keeping the death toll below 20,000 would be a "good outcome". "As the deaths caused by this terrible virus pass another tragic and terrible milestone, the entire nation is grieving," interior minister Priti Patel told a daily press conference. Professor Stephen Powis, the health director for England's health service, said it was "very sad day for the nation". It's expected that thousands more elderly people have died in care homes. The UK government has been criticised for its slow response in introducing a virtual lockdown of the country to stop the spread of the outbreak. Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent time in intensive care earlier this month after he tested positive for the coronavirus and he is still recovering. There have been signs the outbreak is peaking in the country but the government says it is too soon to ease a nationwide lockdown imposed on March 23 and extended to May 7. On Saturday there was controversy after it emerged Mr Johnson's controversial chief adviser Dominic Cummings and another aide Ben Warner had attended meetings of the main scientific group advising ministers despite it being politically independent. A spokesperson for Mr Johnson said it was untrue either were members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. "Mr Cummings and Dr Warner have attended some SAGE meetings and listen to some meetings now they are all virtual. "They do this in order to understand better the scientific debates concerning this emergency and also to understand better the limits of how science and data can help government decisions."
