Further 27 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire
Fifty four more coronavirus deaths have been announced across the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.
Twenty seven more deaths were today confirmed in hospitals and another 27 deaths were announced in care homes across the region.
It means the region's Covid-19 death toll stands at at least 5,244 with 4,369 deaths in hospitals and 875 deaths in care homes.
However, care home deaths have only been recorded since April 10 meaning the full figure is likely to be higher.
Meanwhile the UK-wide death toll increased by 691 to 68,307.
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The bulk of the care home deaths, announced in weekly data shared by the Office for National Statistics, were in Staffordshire where 20 people died in homes in the week to December 18.
Four people died in homes in Wolverhampton, one in Dudley and two in Birmingham. No new care home deaths were announced in Walsall or Sandwell.
Hospital deaths across the region
Hospital death figures are released by the NHS daily, and the trust with the most deaths in region today was also in Staffordshire.
Thirteen deaths were announced 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 819.
Four deaths were announced at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals, where the total stands at 424.
Four more deaths were confirmed at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, where the toll rose to 411.
Three deaths were recorded at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City hospitals, where 636 coronavirus patients have now died.
And three 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 1,534.
No more deaths were reported at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, where the death toll remains at 431.
A spokesman for NHS England said: "A further 405 people, who tested positive for the coronavirus (Covid-19) have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 46,983.
"Patients were aged between 26 and 100 years old. All except 13 (aged 54 to 90 years old) didn’t have known underlying health conditions.
"Date of death ranges from 2 July to 21 December 2020 with the majority being on or after 18 December.
"Their families have been informed."
