Another seven Covid deaths have been announced at the trust running hospitals in mid and south Essex.

NHS England data shows five of the newly recorded deaths happened on Wednesday, with another two on February 12.

It means the total number of coronavirus-related deaths at the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust - which runs Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals - to 2,196.

There were five other deaths announced by other Essex hospital trusts today and 315 at all sites in the country.

Meanwhile data shows the Mid and South Essex Trust was caring for 371 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday.

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The number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 on February 16 was down from 448 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 decreased by 51% in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 757.

Across England there were 17,093 people in hospital with Covid as of February 16, with 2,484 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has decreased by 50% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has decreased by 31%.

The figures also show that 243 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in the week to February 14. This was down from 339 in the previous seven days.