SOUTHEND Hospital has reported NO coronavirus deaths for three consecutive days.

The total number of Covid-19 deaths recorded by the hospital stood at 129 people at 2pm this afternoon but no further deaths were recorded for April 23, April 24 and April 25.

Meanwhile, Basildon Hospital reported one death on April 23, nine on April 24 and none for April 25.

Figures related to today's reported deaths will be announced tomorrow.

In total, there are 222 deaths from Covid-19 at Basildon Hospital and 129 have died at Southend Hospital.

The NHS releases daily totals each day but there may be some discrepancies in the figures because they are not actual numbers of people dying on that day.

At the Essex Partnership Trust, which runs mental health services in the county, 12 patients with Covid-19 have died.

Environment Secretary George Eustice told the Downing Street briefing a total of 20,732 patients had died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK on Saturday, up by 413 from 20,319 the day before.

He said that 669,850 Covid-19 tests had been carried out in the UK - including 29,058 tests carried out on Saturday.

Mr Eustice added that some 152,840 people have tested positive across the country - an increase of 4,463 cases since the day before.

Mr Eustice added: “15,953 people are currently in hospital with the coronavirus in the UK, down from 16,411 on April 25

“And sadly, of those hospitalised with the virus, 20,732 have now died, and that is an increase of 413 fatalities since yesterday.

“We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these victims.”

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Reported/announced deaths revealed by NHS England at 2pm on April 26, 2020Reported/announced deaths revealed by NHS England at 2pm on April 26, 2020

Responding to the latest figures on Covid-19 cases and deaths in the UK, Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute and University of Oxford, said: "We should not draw the wrong lesson from these figures.

"Any decrease in announced deaths is welcome; it seems likely the normal problem with weekends will explain the unusually lower number today. The number of new infections remains in the thousands, but social distancing is working.

"The thousands of new infections identified today do not suggest the virus is still spreading rapidly rather they suggest that we had a much larger number of infections than we identified before the lockdown.

"Such large numbers of viral infections will take time to burn out. Unfortunately, the virus takes us in an express elevator to the top of the peak but we have to find our way back down by the stairs."