Eight more Covid-19 deaths in Doncaster as town's death toll reaches 316

Newly released NHS figures show there have now been 316 deaths in the town’s hospitals since the start of the pandemic.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust, which runs the town’s Doncaster Royal Infirmary, as well as Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop and Mexborough’s Montagu Hospital has seen a steep rise in the number of Covid-19 admissions in recent weeks.

The latest figures relate to the number of cases recorded in the latest 24 hour period.

Earlier this week health chiefs said the number of patients being treated for coronavirus in the region’s hospitals was more than 200 – more than triple the number being treated during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April.

A spokesman said the hospital had been admitted 20 Covid-19 patients a day, with long queues of ambulances building up outside Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Last week, it was also revealed that Doncaster had one of the highest rates of coronavirus cases in England, with 530 cases per 100,000 people, putting it in the UK top ten of most badly hit places.

Dr Rupert Suckling, Doncaster’s Director of Public Health, has repeatedly urged local people to adhere to guidelines and restictions over spiralling case numbers in the town after the number of hospital admissions rocketed from three to more than 200 in just a matter of weeks.

Locally, a further 10 people have died in Sheffield, five in Barnsley and two in Rotherham.

Nationally, a further 302 people, who tested positive for Covid-19 have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 33,637.

Patients were aged between 13 and 100 years old. All except 12 (aged 56 to 99 years old) had known underlying health conditions.

In the north east and Yorkshire, a further 66 deaths were recorded.

England will go into a four week lockdown from tomorrow in a bid to stem the growing numbers with all non essential shops, pubs and restaurants closed and a ban on household mixing until December 2 at least.