DUDLEY'S Russells Hall Hospital has reported its first coronavirus related death in two months, according to latest statistics published by NHS England.

A patient who had tested positive for Covid-19 passed away at the hospital on Sunday September 20, the figures show, bringing the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust's coronavirus death toll to 265 since the pandemic began back in March.

The hospital had suffered no coronavirus related deaths since July 10.

Similarly - Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust had reported no deaths linked to Covid-19 since August 26 but a patient with the virus passed away on Saturday September 19 - the NHS data shows - bringing the trust's Covid death toll to 384.

At both hospitals a total of 649 people who tested positive for the virus have died - many of whom had underlying health issues.

Meanwhile, figures published by the ONS show that a total of 315 people with the virus have died in the Dudley borough and 1,413 across the Black Country, and 5,939 across the whole West Midlands region.

These figures include deaths in care homes and people who have died from coronavirus at home, whereas the NHS England figures simply refer to people who died in hospital.

A total of 77 residents with the virus have died at Dudley's care homes and 14 people have died at home - having tested positive for Covid-19 - the ONS figures show.

In Dudley, 1,719 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began - with 93 of those cases confirmed within the last seven days - Public Health England data for the borough reveals.

The infection rate in Dudley currently stands at 534.5 per 100,000.

In Sandwell, 2,817 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began - and the borough has an infection rate of 857.7 cases per 100,000.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday outlined a number of new rules in a bid to curb the number of cases across the UK and warned that unless swift action was taken daily deaths from Covid-19 would increase.

He told MPs the UK had reached a “perilous turning point” in its fight against coronavirus, and he urged people who can work from home to do so.

He also ordered a 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants, and said retail workers, people travelling in taxis, and staff and customers in indoor hospitality venues would have to wear face masks (except while seated to eat and drink), and he warned that curbs on daily life could be in place for six months to help try to keep the virus at bay.