THE first coronavirus death in close to a month has been recorded at the trust which runs Colchester Hospital.

NHS England figures show 355 people had died in hospital at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust as of 5pm on Tuesday.

That was an increase of one compared to the 354 that had been recorded at the same point on Monday, and the first death in 29 days.

It is not known whether the death occurred at Colchester or Ipswich Hospital.

The victim is among 3,429 deaths recorded across the East of England.

Of 23 trusts within the region, East Suffolk and North Essex trust has the second-highest death toll.

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.

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."

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.