New figures reveal grimmer picture

LONDON • As Britain closes in on 100,000 reported cases of the coronavirus - a solemn milestone in a contagion that has ravaged its political leadership - new statistics suggest that the government is under-counting the human and economic cost of the epidemic.

The Office of National Statistics released data on Tuesday revealing that the death toll could be at least 10 per cent higher than the official toll of 12,107 because that number does not take into account people who die in nursing homes or in their own residences.

The Office for Budget Responsibility, a fiscal watchdog group, said the lockdown could shrink Britain's economy by 35 per cent in the second quarter and throw two million people out of work - a prediction even worse than the government's darkest warnings.

These new numbers cast a grim shadow over Britain's response to the epidemic, which has already been dogged by shortfalls in testing and questions about the supply of ventilators and protective gear.

As in the United States and other countries, nursing homes in Britain have become hot zones for the virus. Two major operators have reported 521 deaths in recent weeks, many of which have not yet been reflected in the official statistics because of a lag in recording the deaths.

Following the release of the data, Britain promised yesterday to test all residents and employees of nursing homes who have Covid-19 symptoms.

At the moment, it tests only the first five residents who have symptoms, but Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that would be expanded as laboratory capacity is boosted.

The expansion is part of government plans to increase testing to 100,000 a day by the end of the month after facing criticism that it has not gone as far as countries such as Germany.

NYTIMES, REUTERS