THREAD 1/8: Today we mark the #deaths of more than 100,000 people who have died within 28 days of an infection with #COVID19; a terrible milestone to have reached and our thoughts are with their families and friends.

2/8: We also hold in our thoughts the families and friends of every single one of the 600,000 other people who have #died, for any reason, in the United Kingdom since this pandemic began – the highest UK death toll since the 1918 Flu pandemic, more than a century ago.

3/7: #Funeral service employees devote their lives to the care of those that die & their grieving families. The UK's funeral employees are under extreme pressure, beyond anything previously experienced & the sheer scale of the loss they're dealing with is profoundly distressing.

4/7: They are caring for mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, brothers, sisters, friends and, sometimes, entire families. This #pandemic is far from over. #Deaths remain more than 30 percent above the seasonal norm & tragically more will die from #COVID19, before their time.

5/7: This terrible milestone that we mark today should bring the challenge before every single one of us, to limit the possibility of infecting ourselves and others, into sharp relief. And that includes #funerals.

6/7: We only have one chance to say goodbye & #funeral directors are committed to ensuring #families can continue, safely, to bid farewell to someone they love. You can help ensure this remains possible by only attending a funeral if you have been invited by the immediate family.

7/8: Please don’t even gather outside the #funeral service to line the road or surround the graveside. Your funeral director will tell you what the limits are. Please respect and adhere to their advice. The vast majority of funerals are now being #livestreamed so...

8/8: ...if you’re not within the small group invited to be present at the service, please take part online instead. We understand that you are also grieving & our thoughts are with you too, but there are strict limits in place for #PublicHealth reasons and they must be followed.