Two new Covid-19 related deaths recorded at Morecambe Bay hospitals

Prior to this, two Covid-19 related deaths had been recorded on Saturday May 31.

The total number of deaths recorded at hospitals run by the trust now stands at 164.

On June 1, 331 people had been discharged home from hospitals across Morecambe Bay following treatment for coronavirus since the pandemic began.

The government eased lockdown restrictions on June 1, as some primary schools in England reopened for some children.

The guidance from Lancashire County Council's Director of Public Health that schools should not open to more pupils remains unchanged.

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi has advised schools to delay reopening to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils because, in his professional view, two of the government's five coronavirus tests are not currently being met in the county.

Although the number of new cases has decreased, Lancashire and the North West has a high number of cases compared to many other regions in the country.

Similarly, although the weekly death count in Lancashire is showing a downward trend, a consistent decline is not being seen in all areas, and in recent weeks we have seen an increase.

It has also been widely reported that the R value for the North West is above 1.

Up to six friends or relatives are now able to gather in parks and gardens as long as they remain two metres apart.

The majority of people who contract the disease do not need hospital treatment.

The way deaths are announced nationally means only trust-wide figures are released by NHS England, and it now only includes data for a specific hospital trust on a daily basis if a death has been recorded.

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust includes the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal and Furness General Hospital in Barrow - although WGH is being kept as a Covid-free site.

The statistics include patients who died in hospital - but not other places, such as care homes.