THE government will provide £750 million of funding for charities that need to keep helping people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced the new support measures on Wednesday evening.

The news comes as the number of people in the UK who died after testing positive for coronavirus rose by 938 to 7,097.

So far, 232,708 people have been tested and 60,734 people tested positive, with 19,438 people in hospital.

Mr Sunak said the government is providing £750 million to support charities hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking at the daily No 10 news conference, Mr Sunak said it will include £370 million for small local charities working with vulnerable people Of this, £60 million will be allocated through the Barnett formula to those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A further £360 million will go to charities providing essential services supporting vulnerable people.

Of this, £200 million will go to hospices and the rest to organisations like St John Ambulance and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Mr Sunak gave an update on the prime minister: "The prime minister remains in intensive care where his condition is improving.

"I can also tell you that he has been sitting up in bed and engaging positively with the clinical team.

"The prime minister is not only my colleague and my boss but also my friend, and my thoughts are with him and his family.

"The news about the PM reminds us how indiscriminate this disease is.

"Nearly everyone will know someone who has been affected - friends, family, neighbours, colleagues.

"This is a terrible virus that respects no boundaries of status or geography or vocation."