Further 28 Covid deaths in Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire
A further 28 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.
The deaths announced on Wednesday mean a total of 4,397 people have now died in the region's hospitals after contracting the virus.
A further 875 people have died in care homes in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham. 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, which only includes people who died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, increased by 744 to 69,051.
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It is the highest daily rise in deaths since April 29 during the first peak of the virus.
There were a further 39,237 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus across the UK as of 9am on Wednesday, the highest figure reported on a single day throughout the whole pandemic – although this is in part due to much wider testing.
Across the region
Seven 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 826.
A further four deaths were confirmed at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, where the death toll stands at 435.
Four deaths were recorded at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City hospitals, where 640 coronavirus patients have now died.
One more patient has died at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals, where the total stands at 425.
A further death was confirmed at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, where the toll rose to 412.
And 11 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 1,545.
Elsewhere, a further four deaths were announced in Worcestershire – one at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and three at the Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.
