Coronavirus: 36 more deaths in Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire
A further 36 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.
The deaths announced on Thursday mean a total of 4,626 people have now died in the region's hospitals after contracting the virus.
On top of this, 900 people have died in the region's care homes after catching the disease.
Meanwhile the UK-wide death toll reached 73,512 after 964 deaths were announced on New Year's Eve - the second highest total reported on one day since the peak of the first wave.
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The highest total reported during the second wave was the 981 deaths announced on Wednesday.
The deaths were announced as the nation prepared to spend New Year's Eve at home.
All of the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire is now under the toughest Tier 4 restrictions which mean people must stay at home unless they have a valid reason to leave such as work, shopping, exercise or education.
Mixing between households is banned, as is leaving the Tier 4 area without a legally acceptable reason.
Across the region
Ten more deaths were confirmed 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 889.
Six deaths were recorded at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, where the total stands at 427.
Two deaths were announced at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals, where the total stands at 445.
And 18 new deaths were confirmed at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs hospitals across Birmingham including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, meaning the toll now stands at 1,639.
No new deaths were recorded at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, where the death toll remains at 448, or at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City hospitals, where 661 people have died.
Elsewhere 14 new deaths were recorded in Worcestershire – 12 at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and two at the Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.
