The British administration has lowered the country’s official death toll by 5,000 by introducing a new way of estimating the number of deaths caused by the novel coronavirus, Indian Express reported.

According to The Department of Health, the new total now stands at 41,329, which previously stood at 46,706.

The British government had announced last month that it was going to review the estimates and present a new way of calculating the death toll.

The decision came after academicians pointed out that Britain included everyone who tested positive for the coronavirus and died eventually, even when it may not be due to the virus. Scholars also maintained that there was no cut-off point between the positive test and death.

Even though Britain has brought the figure down, it is still the highest death toll in Europe.

This may have been the reason why England recorded more deaths than Scotland, which only counts deaths that occur within 28 days of a positive test.

Public Health England said on Wednesday that it will take into account the 28-day cut-off date, bringing it into line with the rest of the UK. Covid-19 positive people who die after 28 days, but before completion of 60 days.

The government also said that Covid-19 has to appear on their death certificate.

Public Health England said it made the change after discovering that “in recent weeks the number of deaths in people who have tested positive have become substantially greater than the number of deaths subsequently registered as Covid-19 deaths” by the Office for National Statistics, which uses death certificates to keep its tally, as per media reports.

Britain has so far reported 3.14 lakh cases of coronavirus.

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