MORE than 60 new coronavirus deaths have been reported at hospitals in England, the latest figures from NHS England show.

In total, 61 new deaths were announced today (October 18). Of those, two deaths occurred in the east of England, four in London, 14 in the midlands, 12 in the north east and Yorkshire, 24 in the north west, and five in the south east.

All of the deaths occurred between October 4 and 16.

There were no new deaths reported at hospitals in Herefordshire, meaning the number of coronavirus deaths at Wye Valley NHS Trust stands at 59.

The victims were among 6,121 deaths recorded across the midlands, which is the second-worst affected of England's seven NHS regions after London.

Of 34 trusts within the region, Wye Valley trust has the 20th-highest death toll.

Daily death counts are revised each day, with each case backdated to the actual date of death. This means some of the deaths that were first recorded in the latest period may actually have taken place days earlier.

NHS England guidance states: "Confirmation of Covid-19 diagnosis, death notification and reporting in central figures can take up to several days and the hospitals providing the data are under significant operational pressure."

Only deaths that occur in hospitals where the patient has tested positive for Covid-19 are recorded, with deaths in the community excluded, such as those in care homes.