30 more Covid deaths in Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire hospitals
A further 30 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed at hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.
The deaths, announced by the NHS on Wednesday, mean 2,896 patients have now died with Covid-19 in the region's hospitals since the pandemic began.
A further 722 have died with the virus in the region's care homes.
Meanwhile the UK death toll, which includes deaths within 28 days of a positive test, increased by 492 to 47,742 today.
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Five of the 30 deaths in the region were in Staffordshire, where the two main hospitals are dealing with around 30 per cent more coronavirus patients now than they were during the peak of the first wave.
And half of the deaths were at the country's biggest NHS trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, which has had more coronavirus deaths than any other trust in the UK.
Across the region
Five patients were confirmed to have died at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Manor Hospital, where the total increased to 257.
A further five died at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stafford County and Stoke Royal hospitals, bringing the trust’s total to 421.
Four further deaths were confirmed at the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City hospitals, where the total increased to 440.
One patient died at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, where the total is now 294.
And 15 patients were confirmed to have died at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals, where the total rose to 1,102.
No new deaths were confirmed at the Royal Wolverhampton Trust, which runs New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals, where the total of deaths remains at 309.
A spokesman for NHS England said: "A further 302 people, who tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 33,637.
"Patients were aged between 13 and 100 years old. All except 12 – aged 56 to 99 years old – had known underlying health conditions.
"Date of death ranges from March 30 to November 3.
"Their families have been informed."
