THERE have been no coronavirus-related deaths recorded at Worcestershire hospitals for nine days.

For the first time since the beginning of lockdown, Worcestershire hospitals have had zero new deaths from Covid-19 recorded for nine days in a row.

The latest figures, announced by the NHS today (Thursday, July 23) show the total number of hospital deaths in the county remains at 305.

This is made up of 277 at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and 28 at Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.

A further 19 people, who tested positive for the coronavirus have died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in the country up to 29,231.

Patients were aged between 35 and 89 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

The acute hospital trust covers Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Evesham Community Hospital as well as the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and Kidderminster Hospital.

The health and care NHS trust covers community hospitals and rehabilitation wards, including Worcester City Impatient Unit, Malvern Community Hospital, Evesham Community Hospital, Pershore Community Hospital, the Princess of Wales Community Hospital in Bromsgrove, Tenbury Community Hospital and the Wyre Forest Ward.

The figures on deaths relate to patients who have died in hospital and who have tested positive for Covid-19. They do not include deaths outside hospital, such as those in care homes, prisons, ambulances or in the community.

The government has been releasing a daily figure for deaths outside of hospitals - Public Health England does not release a regional breakdown.

The figures relate to deaths recorded, not the number of people that have died on a particular day.