OFFICIAL NHS figures show a further seven coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in hospitals in Dudley and Sandwell.
Daily figures released by the NHS show five more deaths have been confirmed at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital.
The announcement brings the current coronavirus death toll at the hospital to 213.
Another two deaths were also confirmed at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell and City Hospital, bringing the current total to 282.
NHS figures only refer to deaths that took place in hospital and relate to deaths confirmed on that day- this does not necessarily mean that they happened on the same day that they were confirmed.
The daily figures released by the NHS do not include deaths that took place in the community, including in care homes.
The figures come on the same day that data published by the ONS reveals there have been 20 deaths linked to COVID-19 in care homes in the Dudley area and 10 in care homes in Sandwell since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK.
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