Hospital Covid death number passes 300

George Briggs, chief operating officer for The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust said the 29 latest deaths brought the total since the start of the pandemic to 313.

The number inpatients who are currently being treated in hospital for the virus was down by six from last week to 146 yesterday — with seven in critical care.

The hospital trust said has treated 1,358 patients with the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Rotherham’s seven-day infection rate was 229.5 per 100,000 in the week ending last Sunday — down 37 per cent on the week before.