AFTER a day of no movement, Thurrock's total for residents who have been recorded as contracting the Covid-19 virus has gone up by six.

It now stands at 275.

Nationally there has been a significant leap in the number of recorded cases, a leap of 6,032 to 171,253.

And because deaths in care homes are now being recorded by Public Health England the number of deaths in the UK has risen to 26,771. That is up by 674, day-on-day.

Locally the number of daily deaths at Basildon & Thurrock Hospital has slowed from its peak of about a week ago, but it has still risen to 231.

Meanwhile the NHS has set out plans for the second phase of the epidemic, including stepping up non-Covid-19 urgent services over the next six weeks as it attempts to return to normal.

In a letter to local trusts and GPs, the head of NHS England said urgent outpatient appointments should go ahead and routine surgery could be restarted.

But GPs are encouraged to continue to use online consultations.

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Regular testing will be offered to all staff - even those with no symptoms.

The letter, written by chief executive Sir Simon Stevens and chief operating officer Amanda Pritchard, sets out the NHS's approach in the coming weeks, following a drop in hospital patients with Covid-19 over the past two weeks in England.

In his first appearance at the daily Downing Street briefing after recovering from coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would set out a "comprehensive" plan next week on reopening schools and restarting the economy.

Mr Johnson also said the epidemic had passed its peak in the UK.