Further 51 deaths in region's hospitals and care homes in total
A further 27 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire – with a further 24 in the region's care homes.
The deaths announced on Tuesday mean a total of 4,176 people have now died in the region's hospitals after contracting the virus. In England the death toll is now 44,757 after a further 293 people died.
Meanwhile, a total of 848 people have died with the virus in the region's care homes since the pandemic started – although figures have only been recorded since April 10.
A total of 10 deaths were recorded at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs County Hospital in Stafford and Royal Stoke University Hospital, taking the coronavirus death toll there to 751.
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Eight deaths were recorded at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals, where the total now stands at 1,484.
Four were recorded at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, bringing the total there to 401. Two deaths was reported at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals, where the total increased to 413.
Two further deaths were reported at the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and another death reported at the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Statistics from the Care Quality Commission showed a total of 24 people had died in care homes in the week up to December 11 – with seven recorded in Birmingham.
A further three were recorded in Dudley, three in Sandwell, six in Staffordshire and five in Wolverhampton. No deaths were recorded in care homes across Walsall.
