NO new coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded at Warrington Hospital in the past 24 hours.

This welcome news comes after the Warrington and Halton NHS Trust announced that the number of patients being cared for after contracting Covid-19 is greater now than at the peak of the first wave in April.

In the space of week, 20 Covid-positive patients died at the hospital, bringing the trust's death toll to 188.

As of today, Friday, there are currently 140 inpatients at the hospital who have tested positive for the virus, four less than yesterday, with 17 in intensive care.

The highest number of Covid-19-positive inpatients during the first wave was 124 on April 12.

At that time, 18 of these were in ICU.

To date, the trust has discharged 598 patients who recovered after testing positive for Covid-19.