Twenty-six further Covid deaths in region's hospitals

It means the total number of deaths in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham has increased to 7,905.

As of May 14, NHS England has only published the daily death figures on week days – so death totals for Saturday and Sunday are only available on Monday, or a Tuesday if there's been a bank holiday.

Therefore on August 31, NHS England confirmed a further 85 deaths on Saturday, 31 on Sunday, 20 on Monday and 24 on Tuesday – an overall total of 160 deaths in the country's hospitals over four days.

Seven deaths were recorded at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs Royal Stoke and Stafford's County hospitals, taking the total number of deaths to 1,430. Three deaths were confirmed in Saturday's figures, three in Sunday's and one in Tuesday's.

Three deaths were reported at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross Hospital, taking the death toll to 838. All three deaths were confirmed in Sunday's figures.

Two deaths were announced at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, taking the total number of deaths to 768. Both deaths were confirmed in Saturday's figures.

One death was confirmed at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City hospitals, taking the total number of deaths to 1,229. The death was announced in Tuesday's figures.

And 13 deaths were recorded at the University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Trust, taking the total number of deaths to 2,722. The trust runs the Queen Elizabeth, Good Hope, Heartlands and Solihull hospitals. Five deaths were confirmed in Saturday's figures, five in Sunday's and three in Monday's.

No deaths were confirmed at any other trusts in the region over the four-day period.

The death toll at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is 738.