SEVEN more patients have now died at the Royal Bolton Hospital after contracting coronavirus.

Latest government statistics confirmed that one death on Wednesday, and four deaths from Tuesday had been linked to covid-19.

One more death from last Wednesday, November 25, and another from November 22 were also added to the borough’s statistics.

So far, 18 new deaths at the borough hospital have been linked to coronavirus in December, after five new deaths were recorded on Wednesday, and a further six being added to the official data on Monday.

A total of 396 coronavirus-related deaths have now taken place at the borough hospital since March.

The update came as another 80 new cases of the virus were confirmed in the borough.

In the week to November 28, 639 new infections were reported across Bolton – a rate of 222.2.

The week before, the seven days to November 21, 882 new cases were confirmed – the equivalent of 306.7 cases per 100,000 people.

Figures show the borough's infection rate has dropped to its lowest point since mid-September.

Infection rates peaked in the week to October 26, when 568.6 new cases were recorded.