THE United Kingdom's official death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic rose above 150,000 on Saturday (8), government figures showed, following a record wave of cases caused by the Omicron variant.
Some 313 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test were reported on Saturday, taking the total number of fatalities on this measure to 150,057.
A broader but less timely measure of deaths with Covid-19 on the death certificate - which includes deaths early in the pandemic when testing was limited - stood at 173,248 as of the last data on Dec. 24.
"Coronavirus has taken a terrible toll on our country and today the number of deaths recorded has reached 150,000," prime minister Boris Johnson said in a statement. "Our way out of this pandemic is for everyone to get their booster or their first or second dose if they haven't yet."
Britain has seen a surge of cases linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant in recent weeks, though death rates have been lower than during previous infection waves.
The government has focused on rolling out booster vaccinations - which have reached more than 60 per cent of the population - rather than requiring a return to the lockdown measures seen earlier in the pandemic.
Some 1.227 million people tested positive for Covid-19 during the past seven days, 11 per cent more than the week before, while the weekly number of deaths was up 38 per cent on the week before at 1,271.
There are tentative signs the number of new cases may have peaked, with 146,390 new cases reported on Saturday (8), down from the record 218,724 recorded on Jan. 4.
Britain's cumulative death toll is the second-highest in absolute terms in Europe, behind only Russia's.
But on a per-head basis, the United States, Italy, Belgium and several countries in eastern Europe have higher cumulative death rates. Britain's death rate is 7 per cent higher than the European Union average, according to figures collated by Our World in Data.
A BRITISH Indian charity is building a sports and community complex in west London to strengthen local cultural ties. The project, known as the India Gardens Sports and Community Complex, is being developed by Shree Kutch Leva Patel Community (SKLPC) UK and is scheduled to open in June 2027, a statement said.
The 18-acre site in Northolt, valued at £1.1 million, has been designed as a modern hub for education, sport and social activities.
Approved by the Ealing council in 2018, it is one of the largest community-led developments of its kind in the area.
Once complete, India Gardens will provide 34,000 sq ft of internal facilities, including a cricket pavilion, sports hall, nursery, members’ lounge and multi-purpose spaces for weddings, exhibitions and cultural gatherings, the statement added. Outdoor areas will feature landscaped gardens, walking routes and sports fields.
SKLPC UK said the centre will serve both its 25,000 members from London and beyond, and it will also open its doors to schools, clubs and residents.
It described India Gardens as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to celebrate shared roots, while creating a space for learning and recreation.
Founded in 1972 by members of the Kutch Leva Patel community, SKLPC UK began as a group of migrants who met to preserve their traditions and mutual support networks.
The organisation opened its first Samaj Hall in West Hendon in 1980 and now operates centres in Bolton, Oldham, Cardiff and London. Over the decades, SKLPC UK has combined cultural work with philanthropy, raising more than £1.75m for disaster relief and charitable causes, including more than £1m for victims of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat. It continues to promote education and welfare initiatives such as its Saturday school and the Vadil Sammelan, launched in 2024 to support senior citizens.
The India Gardens project symbolises its commitment to community service and intergeneration engagement in Britain, the charity said.
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