Two more coronavirus patients die in Shropshire as UK death toll rises by 563 in one day
A further two people who tested positive for coronavirus have died at Shropshire's hospitals.
The figures, released by NHS England, mean that 15 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have now died in the county.
The statement from NHS England, which confirmed the deaths of two people in the care of Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust, also saw the total number of deaths in the country rise significantly.
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NHS England said a further 486 people had died, bringing the number of confirmed deaths in English hospitals to 2,137.
It comes as Public Health Wales also reported there had been a further 29 deaths, taking the total in Wales to 98.
NHS England said the patients were aged between 13 and 99 years old, and that 20 of the 486, including a 13-year-old, had no known underlying health condition. Their families have been informed.
A statement from Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust said: "The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is currently treating patients who have tested positive for Covid-19 (coronavirus).
"Sadly we can confirm that 14 patients being cared for at our hospitals, and who had tested positive for Covid-19, have died. Two of those have been announced today.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with the families and friends of those patients at this very difficult and distressing time."
One person who tested positive for coronavirus died at a Shrewsbury retirement complex.
A total of 247 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,837, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher, says Public Health Wales. Of these, seven new cases have been confirmed in Powys.
The Government is coming under increasing pressure over Covid-19 testing as the UK experienced its biggest day-on-day rise in deaths so far. It comes as Downing Street said more than 2,000 NHS staff have been tested for coronavirus as the Government faces intense scrutiny over its policy on testing.
Around 8,000 test per days are currently being carried out across the UK even though ministers previously claimed a target of 10,000 tests per day had been hit.
At present, the focus is on testing patients in hospital to see if they have coronavirus, with NHS trusts told earlier in the week they should use up to 15 per cent of any spare testing capacity for NHS staff.
The trials of Remdesivir have been fast-tracked and will take place in 15 NHS centres.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has now scrapped that cap, telling NHS hospital labs to use all spare capacity to test their frontline workers.
Meanwhile, defence secretary Ben Wallace has become the fourth Cabinet minister to have self-isolated, though he now says he has recovered and was able to carry on working throughout the isolation period.
UN secretary general António Guterres said the pandemic threatened every country and is likely to bring a recession without parallel in the world’s recent past.
It comes as at least 42,032 people have now died around the world, while at least 855,007 have been infected.
