Over 20,000 people tested as coronavrius cases increase to 163

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK has now reached 163, the government has confirmed.

The latest figure includes 147 cases in England, 11 in Scotland, three in Northern Ireland and two in Wales.

The Department of Health said as of 7 am on today (6 March), more than 20,000 people had been tested.

The UK’s first death linked to the virus was announced on Thursday, after a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions died in hospital.

As well as her death in the UK, a British man also died from the virus last month after being infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan.

According to the latest figures, of the 147 cases in England:

• 29 in London
• 24 in the South East
• 22 in the South West
• 21 in the North West
• 13 in the North East and Yorkshire
• 12 in the Midlands
• 11 in the East of England
• 15 not yet confirmed

Earlier, the UK government pledged to spend £46m on urgent work to find a vaccine for the virus and develop a rapid test for the disease.

The money will fund work on eight possible vaccines which are already in development as well as a lab in Bedford to try to create a test that could provide results within 20 minutes.

Currently, tests take a couple of days to provide results.