The United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll topped 38,000 as of early May, by far the worst yet reported in Europe, raising questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales brought the United Kingdom's official death toll to 38,289 as of May 3 -- up nearly 6,000 in the space of a week, according to a Reuters tally of death registrations data.
While different ways of counting make comparisons with other countries difficult, the figure confirmed Britain was among those hit worst by a pandemic that has killed more than 285,000 worldwide.
The data came a day after Johnson set out a gradual plan to get Britain back to work, including advice on wearing home-made face coverings -- though his attempt to lift the coronavirus lockdown prompted confusion.