TWO new Covid-19 deaths have been recorded at the trust which runs Colchester Hospital.

The deaths happened on Tuesday, October 20 and Wednesday, October 21.

It means five deaths in seven days have been recorded the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS England figures show 362 people had died in hospital at the trust as of 5pm on Thursday, October 22.

The victims were among 3,522 deaths recorded across the East of England.

NHS England guidance states: "Confirmation of Covid-19 diagnosis, death notification and reporting in central figures can take up to several days and the hospitals providing the data are under significant operational pressure."

Daily death counts are revised each day, with each case backdated to the actual date of death.

This means some of the deaths that were first recorded in the latest period may actually have taken place days earlier.

Only deaths that occur in hospitals where the patient has tested positive for Covid-19 are recorded, with deaths in the community excluded, such as those in care homes.