A grim milestone for the United Kingdom: 104,000 dead of Covid. It was already understood that more than 100,000 had the disease on their death certificates, but an update in official numbers puts it in black and white. Other measures of Covid-related mortality there place the count lower (died within 28 days of a positive test) or higher (excess mortality).
There have been nearly 104,000 deaths since the pandemic began, data from the UK's national statisticians shows. The figures, which go up to 15 January, are based on death certificates. The government's daily figures, which rely on positive tests, are slightly lower. It follows a surge of cases last month, leaving the UK with one of the highest coronavirus death rates globally.
If it was surprise to see the UK dead worst among big countries last year (only Belgium and Slovenia appear to have more deaths per million), it's not a surprise to see it failing likewise into 2021. Virtually everything done wrong, over and over again, reason and evidence mangled at every stage by Britain's witless leadership, state incapacity and malignant press culture.
