LATEST figures show that the number of Covid-related deaths in Basildon stands at 600.

Overall 17,606 cases of Covid-19 have now been confirmed in Basildon, which includes 32 cases in the last recorded full week which was between 6 and 12 April, a rise of ten on the previous week.

The rate of infection in Basildon now stands at 17 cases per 100,000 people. The average number across England is 20.

There have been 600 Covid-related deaths in Thurrock up to 2 April.

By 11 April 91,005 people in the borough had received their first dose of the vaccine.

The average number of new daily cases in the UK has fallen substantially since the start of the year, but the rate of decline has slowed in recent weeks.

Last week, the government changed the way cases in England are reported. Cases that were identified using a lateral flow test have been removed if the person subsequently took a PCR test and tested negative within three days. This means 8,010 cases have been removed from the case data causing the overall total to fall.

Nationally there have been 127,225 Covid-related deaths and in total 4,388,732 cases recorded across the UK.

Only three deaths linked to coronavirus have been recorded in the past week at hospitals in south Essex.

The latest figures from NHS England show there has now been a total of 2,362 Covid deaths at the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which included Basildon & Thurrock Hospital, as of 6 April.

There have been three deaths in the past week at Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals - the first time in months the weekly death toll has stayed in single figures.