Shropshire Star

Covid-19: Another three people die at Shropshire hospitals as England death toll reaches 5,655

A further three people with coronavirus have died at Shropshire's major hospitals.

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A member of hospital staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) outside St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster, London as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. PA Photo. Picture date: Monday March 30, 2020. A total of 1,228 patients are reported to have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire.

NHS England confirmed three people who have died at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust tested positive for Covid-19.

It brings the total to have died with the virus at the trust to 28.

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So far 30 people are known to have died in Shropshire with coronavirus, one at a residential complex and another at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital near Oswestry.

NHS England said that a further 758 people have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 5,655.

The patients were aged between 23 and 102 years old. Of those people, 29 - including the 23-year-old - had no known underlying health condition.

In Wales another 19 people have died, taking the total number of deaths in the country to 212.

There are also three more confirmed cases of the virus in Powys, taking the total to 58.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been confirmed as 'stable' after he was sent to intensive care where he received "standard oxygen treatment".

His spokesman said the move was a “precautionary step” in case he needed to be put on a ventilator.

In Mr Johnson’s absence, Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State, will stand in for him “whenever necessary”, including leading the daily meetings of the coronavirus “war cabinet”.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab leaving 10 Downing Street, London, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in hospital following his admission on Sunday with continuing coronavirus symptoms (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

However, the Prime Minister’s weekly calls with the Queen have been suspended while he remains indisposed.

If Mr Raab were to fall ill, under the established Cabinet order of precedence he would be replaced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Wellingborough MP Peter Bone said it is unclear what would happen if Mr Raab should also fall ill, adding there is a need for legal certainty.

As such, he has called for a temporary succession order, detailing who replaces an incapacitated prime minister - guaranteed in law.

Conservative MP Peter Bone (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

Meanwhile, a man has been jailed after he coughed at two police officers and said he hoped they would pass on coronavirus to their children.

Michael Gray, 41, was sentenced to 19 weeks in prison after he admitted assaulting an emergency services worker and using threatening words and behaviour following an incident in Brixton last Thursday.

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