THERE have been nearly 500 new positive Covid tests in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

Nationally, the Government said a further 315 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday.

The Government also said that, as of 9am yesterday, there had been a further 6,385 lab-confirmed cases in the UK.

It brings the total to 4,194,785.

In the region, 469 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.

The breakdown is as follows: County Durham: 36,147 was 36,069; Darlington: 6,961 was 6,931; Gateshead: 13,210 was 13,188; Hartlepool: 8,394 was 8,376; Middlesbrough: 11,882 was 11,836; Newcastle: 22,427 was 22,398; North Tyneside: 11,757 was 11,717; Northumberland: 16,562 was 16,531; North Yorkshire: 28,190 was 28,146; Redcar and Cleveland: 8,923 was 8,903; South Tyneside: 10,879 was 10,849; Stockton: 14,801 was 14,774; Sunderland: 21,041 was 21,005; York: 11,906 was 11,888.

The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in England has dropped below 10,000 for the first time since the beginning of November, according to the latest figures from NHS England.

There were 9,594 coronavirus patients in hospital in England as of 8am on Wednesday March 3, the first time it has dropped below 10,000 since November 1.