Five more Covid-19 victims over a sombre weekend for Northampton's frontline NHS staff

Five more Covid-19 victims were added to the total who have died at Northampton General Hospital over another sombre weekend.

Bosses at the Cliftonville site confirmed the five people who died between Friday (May 1) and yesterday (Sunday May 3) are included in the latest Government figures released today.

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust's medical director Matthew Metcalfe said: “Sadly we can confirm that a further five patients who had been tested positive for COVID-19 have died.

"Their families have been informed and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this difficult and distressing time."

Frontline NHS staff battling the Covid-19 crisis in Northampton have now seen 169 patients die since March 16. A further 112 have died at Kettering General Hospital taking the grim total county-wide to 282 when the latest data was collated at 5pm yesterday.

These figures only include hospitalised cases, however and do not count 42 coronavirus-related deaths in county care homes between April 10 and April 24.

Across England, the number of people with Covid-19 who have died in hospitals rose by 204, bringing the total to 21,384. It is the lowest daily increase since March 30.

The number of positive tests in Northamptonshire reached 1,056 according to figures released yesterday. The rise of 72 new cases in a week compares to 164 in the previous seven days showing how the Government's lockdown laws and social distancing advice is helping to slow the spread of the deadly bug.

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