16 more coronavirus deaths in Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham
A further 16 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals across the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.
The figures announced today take the total number of Covid-19 deaths in the region's hospitals to 1,904.
Meanwhile the number of hospital deaths in England increased by 352 to 29,483.
The full UK death total, which includes deaths in hospitals, care homes and in the community, is expected to be released later this afternoon.
Among the deaths announced today five more were confirmed at the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust, which runs Stafford's County Hospital and Royal Stoke University Hospital, making a new total of 195.
Three more people died at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross Hospital and Cannock Chase Hospital, taking the total to 237.
And one person died at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell and City hospitals, bringing the total to 292.
No new deaths were reported at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, where the total remains at 219, or at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, where the total remains 159.
Six more people have been confirmed to have died at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust taking the total to 764. The trust runs Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals.
No new deaths were reported in Worcestershire, where the total deaths at the county's hospitals remains at 222.
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The figures were released as new analysis from the Office of National Statistics showed people living in deprived parts of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Birmingham face more than three times the risk of dying from coronavirus than those in affluent areas.
Meanwhile Downing Street has concluded that face coverings have a “weak but positive effect” in reducing the spread of coronavirus, but ministers are still deciding the details of the advice to issue.
As well as including patients who tested positive for the disease, the hospital statistics now also include patients who died in hospital and hadn't tested positive but for whom Covid-19 is documented as a direct or underlying cause of death on their death certificate.
This included two deaths in the Midlands – but it not known where in the Midlands these deaths took place.
A spokesman from NHS England said: "A further 352 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 20,483.
"Patients were aged between 30 and 103 years old. Of those, 18 of the 352 patients – aged between 43 and 98 years old – had no known underlying health condition.
"Their families have been informed."
Some deaths are not included in the statistics for several days due to testing or family members being informed. Today's figures included patients who died between March 16 and April 30.
