SIX further deaths from coronavirus have been reported in North-East and North Yorkshire hospitals today – one of the lowest day-on-day increases since the start of the pandemic.

Two deaths were reported by County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, three by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust and one by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The latest figures published by NHS England show there have been a further 90 deaths recorded by hospitals in England in the last 24 hours.

It brings the total deaths in hospital reported to 24,617, with 1,493 in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

The daily figures may not include all deaths that occurred on that day or on recent prior days due to how they are reported by hospitals.

Guidance issued with the figures says confirmation of COVID-19 diagnosis, death notification, death certificates and reporting in central figures can take up to several days and adds that hospitals providing the data are under significant operational pressure.

The total number of patient deaths recorded by each trust as of 5pm Saturday, May 16 are: 

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust –  210 was 208

Gateshead Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust –125

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – 177 was 176

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust – 96

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 216

South Tyneside & Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust – 305 was 302

Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 107

York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 189

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust –54

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (mental health) –  7

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust (mental health) -   7

Total: 1,493, was 1,487