Britain records five more Covid deaths with UK tally at 41,363 

A further five people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Britain today bringing the UK’s total deaths during the pandemic to during the pandemic to 41,363.  

Four more people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, NHS England said.

The patients were aged between 66 and 88 and they all had known underlying health conditions.

Scotland has reported no new deaths and Wales has reported one.

The figures are likely to be much higher when the all-settings numbers – which include deaths in care homes and in the wider community – are released. 

A further five people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Britain today bringing the UK’s total deaths during the pandemic to during the pandemic to 41,363

The figures came just hours after families were forced to make a last-minute dash across the Channel from France in a desperate bid to make it home before the government’s 14-day quarantine kicked in at 4am.

From 4am onwards, all those arriving from France must quarantine for 14 days after the country reported a spike in coronavirus cases.

The 11th-hour move sparked chaos for an estimated 500,000 British holidaymakers in France – including a couple who forked out £1,000 for business class Eurostar seats and a family who drove for 12 hours to get home.

One mother was forced to leave two of her children behind with her husband when she fled France on the last Eurostar train.

The woman – who had to return to the UK before quarantine began due to her job – was only able to get tickets for herself and her baby.

She now fears her two daughters – who will return on Monday – may not be out of quarantine when their school goes back.

The woman, who did not provide her name, told Sky News: ‘This has completely ruined our summer. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. I am so upset about this.’

Others were forced to charter a fishing boat to make it home on time. The Dunedin Consort – a musical ensemble from Scotland – wrote on Twitter: ‘Au revoir France! As exits from concerts go, this one is quite unique. We’re sailing back to the UK on a fishing boat overnight to beat the quarantine.’ 

One family made it back to Britain with just hours to spare. Matt, a teacher from Manchester who did not share his second name, took his car on a Channel Tunnel train which was due to arrive back in the UK at 3.55am. 

The 11th-hour move sparked chaos for an estimated 500,000 Britons in France with some forced to charter a fishing boat (pictured)

The 11th-hour move sparked chaos for an estimated 500,000 Britons in France with some forced to charter a fishing boat (pictured)

The Dunedin Consort - a musical ensemble from Scotland - wrote on Twitter: 'Au revoir France! As exits from concerts go, this one is quite unique. We're sailing back to the UK on a fishing boat overnight to beat the quarantine'

The Dunedin Consort – a musical ensemble from Scotland – wrote on Twitter: ‘Au revoir France! As exits from concerts go, this one is quite unique. We’re sailing back to the UK on a fishing boat overnight to beat the quarantine’

 

But some people weren't as lucky. Alexis Walmsley (pictured) from Basingstoke missed the last Eurostar train meaning both she and her disabled son now have to quarantine

But some people weren’t as lucky. Alexis Walmsley (pictured) from Basingstoke missed the last Eurostar train meaning both she and her disabled son now have to quarantine

Eurostar passengers arrive at St Pancras Station in London from Paris on the first train after a quarantine was put in effect for people returning from France

Eurostar passengers arrive at St Pancras Station in London from Paris on the first train after a quarantine was put in effect for people returning from France

Travellers from France arrive at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras International after France was removed from the list of safe countries people can travel to without going into quarantine

Travellers from France arrive at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras International after France was removed from the list of safe countries people can travel to without going into quarantine

Eurostar passengers were seen in St Pancras Station in London after they arriving from Paris. They will now need to quarantine

Eurostar passengers were seen in St Pancras Station in London after they arriving from Paris. They will now need to quarantine

His family had been camping in the Dordogne and had planned to come home on Monday but changed their tickets for an extra £115.

The family drove for 10 hours to Calais to catch the train and spent another £66 to stay at a hotel in the early hours before driving on to Manchester.

‘We literally got on the last available train. We’d been keeping up-to-date with the chaos at Calais so we were fearing the worst,’ the 40-year-old said.

‘Luckily, once we got to Calais we sailed through and actually got back at just gone 3am.’

But some people weren’t as lucky. Alexis Walmsley from Basingstoke missed the last Eurostar train meaning both she and her disabled son now have to quarantine.

She wrote on Twitter: ‘So near and yet so far. Reorganised my return from France to ensure my disabled son didn’t have to quarantine but our TGV was so delayed we are going to miss the last Eurostar home.’

She added: ‘Made new booking for me and my disabled son (who won’t understand quarantine) from Avignon to Paris for the Eurostar. 

‘We’d have made it home but for a massive delay at Lyon. Now I don’t even know where we will sleep tonight.’

There are also fears that the new rules will cause thousands of children to miss the start of the school year as pupils who do not return to the UK by Tuesday night will still be self-isolating at home when the majority of schools go back on September 2.

But with limited capacity on flights, ferries and the Eurotunnel, many will have no choice but to stay in France – or pay high prices for some of the remaining tickets.  

Some tourists had less time to avoid quarantine after the Scottish and Welsh governments demanded the rules be introduced a day earlier. 

Meanwhile, France is likely to impose to impose tit-for-tat quarantine restrictions from Monday for people arriving from Britain, meaning British travellers will have to self-isolate on arrival there too.

Families made a last-minute dash across the Channel last night ahead of the 4am cut-off this morning when France was added to the UK's quarantine list. Pictured: A family arriving from Dieppe last night

Families made a last-minute dash across the Channel last night ahead of the 4am cut-off this morning when France was added to the UK’s quarantine list. Pictured: A family arriving from Dieppe last night

Passengers disembarked from the penultimate ferry to Newhaven from Dieppe last night before the 14-day quarantine rules kicked in

Passengers disembarked from the penultimate ferry to Newhaven from Dieppe last night before the 14-day quarantine rules kicked in

People queue in line to check-in for a British Airways flight to Heathrow Airport on Friday at Nice airport, southern France

One family was seen cycling after getting off the penultimate ferry to Newhaven from Dieppe last night - before the quarantine rules kicked in

One family was seen cycling after getting off the penultimate ferry to Newhaven from Dieppe last night – before the quarantine rules kicked in

Meanwhile, France is likely to impose to impose tit-for-tat quarantine restrictions from Monday for people arriving from Britain, meaning British travellers will have to self-isolate on arrival there too. Pictured: A queue of cars fleeing France via the Channel Tunnel

Meanwhile, France is likely to impose to impose tit-for-tat quarantine restrictions from Monday for people arriving from Britain, meaning British travellers will have to self-isolate on arrival there too. Pictured: A queue of cars fleeing France via the Channel Tunnel

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