Coronavirus news live: UK death toll reaches 44,198, thousands of drinkers swarm streets as pubs reopen on ‘Super Saturday’ and nation mourns victims with minute’s silence

Pubs in England opened their doors yesterday (Picture: Anthony Devlin/Getty)

The total coronavirus death toll in the UK – as of Saturday – stands at 44,198, after another 67 people died after testing positive for the virus.

This figure counts fatalities in all settings including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 284,900 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Britain.

Meanwhile, thousands of pub drinkers swarmed the streets yesterday as lockdown restrictions were eased on ‘Super Saturday’.

England’s first night out after three months has been named ‘absolute madness’, with many drunken punters accused of flouting social distancing guidelines.

Several pubs across the country – including in Lincoln and Nottinghamshire – closed early while crowded scenes in Soho have sparked alarm, amid concerns that the R rate in London has risen above 1 again.

• UK death toll hits 44,198 after another 67 people die
• Nation mourns tens of thousands of coronavirus victims with minute’s silence
• Thousands of drinkers swarm streets as pubs reopen on ‘Super Saturday’
• World sees record rise of 212,326 coronavirus cases in 24 hours

Here, we bring you the live updates on the latest news, developments and guidance on the Covid-19 pandemic.