Further 97 coronavirus deaths at hospitals across Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire
A further 97 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.
It means a total of 6,009 patients have now died in the region's hospitals after contracting the virus.
A further 1,085 have died in the region's care homes since the pandemic began.
NHS England announced a further 973 deaths on Wednesday, taking the death toll in the country's hospitals to 68,894.
Sixteen new deaths were confirmed at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs the main hospitals in Stoke and Stafford, where there has now been 1,164 deaths.
A further 12 deaths were announced at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross Hospital, where the death toll is now 637.
Eleven deaths were recorded at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City hospitals, where the death toll now stands at 883.
Nine deaths were confirmed at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, where the total remains 552.
Three deaths were announced at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, where there have been 554 deaths since the pandemic began.
Four deaths were recorded at the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, where the total is now 60.
And 42 deaths were confirmed at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where the overall death toll increased to 2,081.
Elsewhere, six deaths were announced at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
A spokesman for NHS England said: "A further 973 people, who tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 68,894.
"Patients were aged between 29 and 103 years old. All except 50 – aged 32 to 98 years old – had known underlying health conditions.
"Date of death ranges from November 18 to January 26 with the majority being on or after January 21.
"Their families have been informed."
