THREE more deaths have been recorded at trusts which runs hospitals in north Essex.

The East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital, recorded two more deaths.

Both happened on Sunday. It means 320 people have now lost their lives at the hospitals run by the trust.

Nick Hulme, Chief Executive for East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We can confirm that one patient in their 80s, has sadly passed away at Ipswich Hospital, and one patient in their 70s has sadly passed away at Colchester Hospital.

"Both patients had underlying health conditions. The patients had tested positive for COVID-19.  

“Our thoughts and condolences remain with the patients’ families and loved ones at this difficult time.”

Anglian Community Enterprise, at the Fryatt Hospital, in Dovercourt, also recorded one further death on Saturday taking its death toll to 22.

It comes as the number of deaths involving coronavirus in the UK reached its lowest weekly level for six weeks in May.

There were 4,210 deaths involving Covid-19 registered in the week ending May 15, according to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics.

It is the lowest weekly total since the week ending April 3, when 3,801 Covid-19-related deaths were registered.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the figures are a “stark reminder that lockdown measures have made such a difference”.

To date there have been 369 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Colchester and 318 in Tendring.