Doncaster coronavirus death toll nears 80 as number of fatalities rises again

Newly released NHS figures show there have been 79 COVID-19 recorded and reported deaths in the Doncaster health authority region so far – an increase of five on yesterday’s total of 74.

They are the first new coronavirus deaths reported in the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust area since April 24.

However, there is sometimes a delay in recording and reporting the figures and recent deaths may not be included in the total.

The figure also does not include any deaths in the community or care homes – and figures are thought to be much higher, especially within care homes where cases are continuing to spiral.

There have now been nearly 400 cases of coronavirus recorded at the Trust’s three hospitals – Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Worksop’s Bassetlaw Hospital and Mexborough’s Montagu Hospital.

By the end of yesterday, there were 372 cases in the Doncaster hospital trust area.

Hospital chiefs have said that 125 patients treated for coronavirus have been successfully allowed home to recuperate after recovering sufficiently from the virus following hospitalisation for coronavirus.

Over the weekend, the UK became one of only five countries in the world to pass 20,000 deaths – with the others being the USA, Italy, France and Spain.

Nationally, there have been another 633 deaths across the UK, bringing the total number of deaths to 21,468.