LATEST: No further deaths but 45 new cases of virus, scenes of chaos as huge crowds flock to UK beaches

There have been no further coronavrius-related deaths but 45 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed this evening.

It means the overall death toll as a result of the virus remains at 1,763. There are now 26,109 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the country, according to the latest daily briefing from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

There has been no rise in the number of cases in Kilkenny, which remains at 357 or one per cent of the overall total.

The latest cases were confirmed as pictures emerged today of huge crowds descending on British beaches, with people clearly not practicing social distancing.

Yesterday British Prime Minister Boris Johnson postponed plans to ease lockdown measures on the UK, which has recorded more than 46,000 Covid-19 deaths, after a worrying surge in new coronavirus cases.

Temperatures soared to a sweltering 37.8C in London as thousands descended onto packed beaches, particularl;y in the courth of the country.

Authorities expressed concern about keeping tourists safe in the water, as well as the potential spread of Covid-19 and maintaining social distancing.

Thanet District Council leader, Cllr Rick Everitt, told the BBC: “Early on, it became clear that they were going to reach levels of which we were concerned about.

“If you have too many people on the beach, it just becomes unmanageable from that point of view.”