Thirty-two more people have died in England after testing positive for the coronavirus - taking the total number of UK deaths to 104.
It follows the biggest daily leap in confirmed cases of COVID-19 there, after 676 infections were diagnosed in the last 24 hours.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK now stands at 2,626.
Earlier, a third patient in Scotland was confirmed to have died after testing positive.
Two people with the virus have died in Wales so far.
Meanwhile there have been six new positive cases in Northern Ireland - bringing the total there to 68.
Northern Ireland's Department of Health says a total of 1,482 people have been tested for the virus there.
Testing of patients in Northern Ireland has resulted in six new positive cases for Coronavirus (Covid-19), bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 68. https://t.co/kh2VNqwF75#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/sr0YN53EgS
— Department of Health (@healthdpt) March 18, 2020
It comes as all schools in Scotland and Wales are set to close on Friday in response to the pandemic.
However England and has yet to make such an announcement.
An inmate at a prison in the English city of Manchester has tested positive for COVID-19 - the first confirmed UK prisoner case.
While filming British TV shows such as 'EastEnders', 'Casualty', 'Doctors' and 'Holby City' has been suspended until further notice.
The youngest person to die in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has been named as 45-year-old Craig Rushton, who had been fighting motor neurone disease.
Main image: A person wearing a face mask on the platform of a train station in London | Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images
