Further 40 coronavirus deaths in Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire

It brings the total Covid-19-related deaths in the region to 1,469 following 67 which were confirmed on Saturday.

On Sunday, seven more deaths were confirmed by Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust today, bringing the total deaths to 202.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust confirmed two further deaths.

There have now been 240 deaths at the trust which manages Sandwell and City hospitals.

Six deaths were confirmed yesterday by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust which runs Stafford's County Hospital and Royal Stoke University Hospital. In total 124 people have now died within the trust's hospitals.

And 25 deaths were confirmed at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust bringing the total number to 589.

There were no further deaths at Walsall and Dudley hospital trusts confirmed yesterday.

Meanwhile the UK death toll increased by 596 to 16,060.

The news comes amid a growing row over the Government's response to the crisis in its early days.

Reports in the Sunday Times suggest Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not attend a raft of Cobra meetings and claimed the Government missed a series of opportunities to try and lessen the impact of the outbreak in February and March drew a pointed response from Downing Street.

But Mr Gove insisted criticism of Boris Johnson over this was “grotesque”.

Meanwhile a delivery of 84 tons of personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line workers has been delayed.

The shipment, which includes 400,000 surgical gowns, was due to arrive in the UK from Turkey on Sunday afternoon.

The reason for the delay is not yet known.

A Government spokeswoman said: “We are continuing to work to ensure the shipment is delivered as soon as possible.”

Communities secretary Robert Jenrick set out details of the consignment at the daily Downing Street press conference on Saturday, describing it as a “very significant additional shipment”.