We have overtaken Italy that was the first country in the world to instigate a national lock down to control the pandemic.

Dominic Grab, the first secretary of state, said the latest figures portrayed a massive tragedy, but he warned against making comparisons with other countries until much more information was available on all courses of death.

Now.

Today's figures show there were 693 deaths linked to the virus recorded in a 24 hour period in the UK that in hospitals, care homes and in the community.

That brings the total number of deaths formerly linked to the virus to 29,427 which is second only to the U.

S.

A.

Worldwide.

Now, experts say, there are several key factors to be considered when making comparisons including population size, different testing regimes, Andi geographical spread.

Those are science, editor David Chipman explains Now, every so often, there are grim national milestones.

This time of the U.

K's death toll rises above that of Italy, making it second only to the United States, and with every figure a story of loss and grief, the virus never loses the part of shock, killing three members of one family within days of each other.

First Keith Donington, a nurse from South Shields.

Then a week later his father, Morris, and his mother, Lillian, leaving the family stunned, still in disbelief a little bit.

He's Keith's Children are I am absolutely devastated and then loose a nanny and grandad they they really devastated my Children are balls, absolutely heart.

At today's government briefing, the latest graph shows how the death tolls are rising in different countries.

The official numbers confirmed that Italy has lost 29,315 people on the UK now slightly mawr A 29,427.

If it does turn out that we are the country that's hardest hit in your what's your reaction to that?

There are different ways of counting deaths as we know we've had that debate in this country.

We now published data includes all deaths in all settings are not all countries do that.

So I'm not sure that the international comparison works on this.

Your you reliably know that all countries are measuring in the same way, and it also depends on how good frankly countries are in gathering their statistics on our own.

Office of National Statistics is widely acknowledged to be a world leader.

There are important differences between the two countries.

The UK has more people than Italy on London is far bigger than any Italian city.

On the other hand, the population of Italy is older and more generations live together, which increases the risk to grandparents.

It's a complicated picture is still evolving.

Everybody knows that making international comparisons in such statistics can be difficult on.

It may be that that will take some time.

Teoh sort out on this isn't over yet, But all this raises questions about the UK s handling of the outbreak.

The NHS has avoided being overwhelmed, a real success unlike in northern Italy.

But it emerged today that fewer than 300 people were put into quarantine earlier this year at a time when 18 million arrived without any kind of screening.

Testing for the virus got off to a slower start than in other countries, and that's now being officially acknowledged in the early phases, and I've said this before.

I think if we'd managed to ramp testing capacity quicker, it would be beneficial.

And, um, you know, for all sorts of reasons that didn't happen on day, I think it's clear you need lots of testing for this.

The numbers dying every day are now falling.

The lock down is working.

But this comes as tens of thousands of people across the UK are now grieving.

David Trochmann BBC News Well, the impact of the pandemic on some of the most vulnerable people in society is becoming increasingly clear.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics shows the deaths related to Corona virus in care homes in England and Wales increased by more than 1/3 in the week, ending the 24th of April.

That week, there were 2794 registered deaths in care homes linked to Corona virus.

That means the total off nearly 6000 care Home deaths up to April 24th.

Our social affairs correspondent Allison Holt, has the latest on the care sector on the intense pressure it's under tonight at Glen Abbey Manic Care home in County Antrim it was confirmed that 14 residents have now passed away after testing positive for or showing signs off Corona virus.

Each death, an individual tragedy, the personal loss that lies behind the weekly official numbers.

Onda distressing marker of how the virus continues to reach into residential and nursing homes across the UK Going to the care home and the youngest sister was there at that time.

She was looking through the window, but it was like surreal as a Liverpool care home.

Joe Brown only managed to see his mother, Bertha, from outside after she tested positive for Cove in 19.

She died a few days later.

He doesn't understand why the virus wasn't mentioned on her death certificate, but those are questions for another day.

There was a bomb not three meters away.

Behind the glass.

Um, on the care workers again was trying to get it to look out the window to see us, you know, and at one point she left behind a few inches, but I couldn't do anything I love.

I like to think of being quite strong person yourself, all me life.

I felt totally helpless.

More than 1/3 of deaths in care.

Homes in England, Scotland and Wales were registered as linked to covert 19 in the week upto April the 24th.

But overall, the number of deaths in UK homes from all causes is higher than usual, particularly so in England and Wales, almost four times more deaths than we would expect to see at this time of year.

Registered in that last week, about 280% MAWR deaths registered in care homes above that five year average.

And that number is going up on 35% of those mentioned covert on the death certificate.

Once again, these official figures paint a distressing picture of the impact that Corona virus is having on care homes.

I understand.

Within days, the government will set out a plan of intensive support for care homes in particular, including additional backup from councils and health services.

With care providers still having trouble with protective equipment and testing many Seymour supporters overdue but vital.

We need more help from the government on testing on PP on financial support on, I think we need more help so we could reduce the deaths in Cam's going forward.

We need to be at the center, not on the periphery.

For weeks, Care staff has said they felt largely on their own as they tried to protect residents.

The test of more coordinated support will be whether that changes.

Allison Holt, BBC News With me in the studio is our health editor, Hugh Pimp.

You.

Can we talk a little more about this rather thorny issue of making comparisons between the UK and other countries?

That what is your reading of the differences here?

Well, here it certainly a somber moment, with the death toll nearly a 30,000 and ahead of other European countries.

But of course, there are these caveats.

London is three times bigger than Italy's biggest city, like New York is an environment where the virus might spread quickly.

The U.

K's got a bigger population than than Italy.

And, of course, there are some issues around international comparisons on the points often made.

The NHS has coped remarkably well in the circumstances.

It hasn't bean overwhelmed despite predictions.

One chart stood out.

It's the one showing Italy 15 days ahead of the UK in this epidemic.

Italy was one of the first countries to be hit hard, and yet the UK now has a higher death toll on it comes on a day with more scrutiny off the government by MPs of the Health Select Committee, with officials and then in the Commons.

Health questions with health minister's questions being asked respectfully, I think MPs from all parties know the government had a very, very difficult job here in unprecedented circumstances.

But questions being asked about what's the lock down imposed too late?

Shouldn't testing have started a lot sooner?

We heard from Sir Patrick Violence, the chief scientific adviser there, that he thinks it could have been developed more rapidly and not stalled for a month or so as it was.

So I think these questions can only continue from here.

That's very much a you pay my health editor.