69 more coronavirus deaths in region as UK toll nears 15,000
Another 69 coronavirus patients have died in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire – with the total now standing at 1,362.
The deaths were announced on Friday as the UK-wide death toll increased by 847 to 14,576, although these figures only includes hospital deaths.
Out of the 738 new coronavirus deaths confirmed in England, patients were aged between 32 and 101 years old.
A total of 30 of the 738 patients – aged between 34 and 92 years old – had no known underlying health conditions.
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Twelve deaths were announced at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell and City Hospitals, increasing the total to 231.
Seven more were announced at the Royal Wolverhampton Trust, where 189 have now died.
Another three people have died at Dudley Group, where a total of 165 have died – and one extra person has died at Walsall Healthcare, taking the total to 99.
At University Hospitals of North Midlands, which runs Stafford County and Royal Stoke hospitals, another five people have died making the latest death toll 115.
And 41 more people have died at University Hospitals Birmingham - which runs Queen Elizabeth Hospital, three other hospitals in Birmingham and the new Nightingale hospital - taking the total to 546.
No new deaths have been reported at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which still has a toll of 98.
The true death toll in the region, and across the UK, is likely to be far higher due to the fact the daily NHS updates only include hospital deaths.
Many elderly people are believed to have died in care homes across the country but the low level of testing means the extent of the pandemic's impact across communities is not known.
At one care home in Staffordshire, 24 residents have died during the coronavirus outbreak, including eight who tested positive for Covid-19.
The latest death figures were announced as a leading doctor warned Britain will face “further waves” of Covid-19 and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the Government was “too slow” to act.
Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London’s Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs that the “harsh reality” is that “we were too slow with a number of things” and deaths could reach to 40,000.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that testing will be expanded to those in the police, fire service and prisons, as well as critical local authority workers, the judiciary and Department for Work and Pensions staff where required.
It follows criticism of a gulf between those being tested and the testing capacity, with just 18,665 tests being conducted in the 24 hours up to 9am on Thursday, despite 38,000 tests being available.
Figures released on Friday showed 21,328 people were tested in the country in the 24 hours up to 9am on Friday.
Meanwhile concerns remain over the amount of protective personal equipment available in hospitals and care homes.
Mary Stevens Hospice in Stourbridge has issued an urgent appeal for PPE, following in the footsteps of several councils and hospitals including New Cross in Wolverhampton.
