May 5, 2020 - Health

U.K. reports highest coronavirus death toll in Europe

In this image, a woman wearing a gas mask stands over a hospital patient

A medical staff member cares for a patient at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge. Photo: Neil Hall/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The U.K. surpassed Italy on Tuesday to report the most coronavirus deaths in Europe, according to Johns Hopkins data and its own tracker.

Driving the news: The country, which prolonged its lockdown last month until at least the second week of May, has reported more than 196,000 cases compared to Italy's roughly 213,000. Imperial College London is undertaking the randomized testing of 100,000 people in England this week to gain data on when the lockdown might be able to lift, per The Guardian.

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