Three more coronavirus deaths confirmed in Black Country care homes

Two people with Covid-19 died in care homes in Sandwell and one person died in Walsall last week, new figures from the Office for National Statistics show.

The death in Walsall was only the second Covid-19 death in a care home in the borough in 22 days while in Sandwell only one care home resident had died with the virus in the 28 days before the first death last week.

No other care home deaths were reported across the Black Country, Birmingham or Staffordshire in the week to July 31.

It means 695 people have died in care homes in the region after contracting the virus since April 10 when recording began. The full death toll is likely to be higher as the first deaths in the region's hospitals were one month earlier.

Care home coronavirus deaths by area:

• Wolverhampton: 70

• Walsall: 97

• Dudley: 59

• Sandwell: 50

• Staffordshire: 228

• Birmingham: 191

• Worcestershire: 193

Meanwhile the UK-wide coronavirus death toll, which includes deaths in and out of hospitals, increased by 89 to 46,299 today.

No new deaths were reported at hospitals in the Midlands.

It means the hospital death toll across the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire remains at 2,551.

More Covid-19 coverage:

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• See all the latest coronavirus news at expressandstar.com/covid19

A fresh warning has been issued to people in Wolverhampton to remain vigilant about the disease after the city recorded its highest number of positive cases in one day for three months, while the infection rate in Sandwell is decreasing but remains among the highest in the country.

The death toll at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals, remains at 285; while a total of 264 patients have died at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital.

The toll at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, is at 230; and at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City hospitals, stands at 380.

While a total of 354 people have died at the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust, which runs County Hospital in Stafford and Royal Stoke University Hospital.

At the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals, the death toll stands at 967.

In Worcestershire, a total of 306 people have died in hospital after contracting Covid-19.