国际英语新闻:Nearly 20,000 COVID-19 cases confirmed in UK

LONDON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 19,522 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Britain as of Sunday morning, marking an increase of 2,433 in the past 24 hours, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

As of Saturday afternoon, some 1,228 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, said the department.

Meanwhile, a letter from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will land on the doorsteps of 30 million households across Britain from next week.

In the letter, Johnson outlines the guidance everyone should follow and the measures the government has put in place to fight coronavirus and to support businesses and workers.

The prime minister urges everyone to follow the rules to save lives and thanks the National Health Service (NHS) staff working around the clock as well as everyone volunteering their time to protect others.

Also on Sunday, the Department of Health and Social Care announced a 5-million-pound (about 6.2 million U.S. dollars) grant for leading mental health charities, administered by Mind, a mental health charity in England and Wales, to fund additional services for people struggling with their mental wellbeing during the pandemic.

This could include telephone and online support services for the most isolated and vulnerable in local communities, said the department.