"The reason for the difference in these two figures is to do with how deaths are being incorporated into historic data retrospectively.
Yesterday’s cumulative total announced by the Department of
Health was 38,489, which is 556 below today’s cumulative total of 39,045.
But since yesterday, 445 deaths have been added to the historic data.
These additional deaths are linked to cases that have been identified through testing that has been carried out by commercial partners, rather than testing that has been done in NHS and Public Health England laboratories.
Rather than include these 445 deaths in today’s increase, the Department of Health has incorporated them within the previous cumulative total, to create a notional total for yesterday of 38,934 (38,489 + 445).
The difference between this notional total of 38,934 and today’s total of 39,045 is 111, and this is the one being reported by the government.