Scottish actor James McAvoy has donated £275,000 to a crowdfunding campaign set up to by a group of doctors to raise funds amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

The crowdfunding campaign aims to raise money to buy vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for NHS staff treating coronavirus.

READ MORE: Coronavirus in Scotland: Number of cases rises to 1,384

The campaign has now raised more than double its initial target of £200,000, with £540,000 raised so far. 

The X-Men and Last King of Scotland star said on Instagram: “Money donated today will save lives … Help us to help the government to help the NHS.”

The appeal, set up by NHS staff reads: "We are a group of colleagues (doctors in hospitals and GP), who have set up this initiative to source PPE for those who need it most in our fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19). Our names are Dr Mona Barzin (GP), Dr Salaj Masand (Medicine, Ashford Hospital, Kent), Mr Ravi Visagan (Neurosurgery, King's College Hospital, London) & Mr Nav Kumar.

"Unfortunately, current hospital supplies are not sufficient and while we are reassured the government is doing everything it can, healthcare workers on the frontline are risking themselves daily without adequate protection to care for sick patients. Healthcare workers on the frontline without PPE is the equivalent of going to war without armour and protection.

READ MORE:  Coronavirus: Movement restrictions could last till June, warns Scots medical chief

Speaking to The Guardian, one of the medics behind the project, Dr Salaj Masand, said: “We are overwhelmed and speechless at the trust and faith people have put into us to deliver this. The number of very generous donations from everyone doubled our target within three days.”

The jump in coronavirus-related deaths in the UK announced today rose from 1,019 to 1,228, an increase of 209 – the second biggest day-on-day rise in the number of deaths since the outbreak began.

It means the total number of deaths is 21% higher than the equivalent figure yesterday. The day-on-day percentage increase yesterday was 34%.

It took 16 days for the number of deaths in the UK to go from one to just over 200. It has taken a further eight days for the total to go from just over 200 to just over 1,200.

Meanwhile, the number of people in the UK who have been tested for coronavirus has now passed 125,000. The total as of 9am on March 29 was 127,737.

On average, around 7,000 new tests a day were carried out in the seven days to 9am March 29.

In the previous seven days the daily average was around 5,400.

The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK now stands at 19,522, as of 9am March 29.

One week ago, on March 22, the total stood at 5,683.