A TOTAL of 35 patients with Covid-19 in Worcestershire have died, it has been confirmed.

NHS England has announced seven deaths at Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust hospitals in the 24 hours up to 5pm Thursday. And another death was reported by Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust during the same period.

It means the total is up to 35 in the county, from the 27 previously reported.

The figures are the latest provided by the public body, and correct as of April 3.

The acute hospital trust covers Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Evesham Community Hospital as well as the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and Kidderminster Hospital.

The health and care NHS trust covers community hospitals and rehabilitation wards, including Worcester City Impatient Unit, Malvern Community Hospital, Evesham Community Hospital, Pershore Community Hospital, the Princess of Wales Community Hospital in Bromsgrove, Tenbury Community Hospital and the Wye Forest Ward.

The eight deaths are included in the 604 nationally, who died after testing positive for coronavirus - that has brought the overall total number of confirmed reported deaths in England to 3,302.

Patients were aged between 24 and 100 years old. 34 of the 604 patients (aged between 27 and 92 years old) had no known underlying health condition.

Their families have been informed.

At the latest government daily press conference yesterday afternoon, Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said “we are all on the same side in this war.” He urged people to stay at home this weekend as the weather across the county is set to get warmer.

Mr Hancock added: “The only way to protect yourself and your family from this disease is to stay at home. We’re set for a warm weekend. But the disease is still spreading and we absolutely cannot afford to relax the social distancing measures that we have in place.

“We cannot relax our discipline now. If we do, people will die. This advice is not a request, it’s an instruction. Stay at home, protect lives and then you will be doing your part.”

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