A further dozen hospital patients in mid and south Essex have died from coronavirus in the past week. 

NHS figures show there has been now 2,374 deaths at Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals since the pandemic began. 

That is an increase of 12 from this time last week. 

Five of the newly recorded deaths were announced on Saturday, two on Friday and another five on Wednesday. 

The weekly death toll of 12 is up from three the week before. 

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Another 11 Covid deaths have been announced across the whole of country by NHS England today. 

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.