Photo taken on April 14, 2020 shows a man walking in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

LONDON -- The death toll of those hospitalized in Britain who tested positive for the novel coronavirus hit 12,868 as of Tuesday afternoon, a daily increase of 761, the Department of Health and Social Care said Wednesday.

As of Wednesday morning, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain reached 98,476, said the department.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has suggested the total number of virus-related deaths in Britain is significantly higher than the figures published by the National Health Service (NHS) and the health department, which only count hospital deaths.