THE only coronavirus-related deaths to occur in the county’s hospitals over the last 24 hours were in East Lancashire.

The two new deaths took place in facilities operated by the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, which includes the Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General.

The trust has now recorded a total of 198 deaths, with 959 fatalities recorded within all of Lancashire’s hospitals.

Of those, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, which operates the Royal Preston, has recorded the highest number of deaths, with 230 fatalities occurring within the trust.

The next highest, with 221 deaths, is Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and then the Morecambe Bay University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with 165.

Southport and Ormskirk NHS has reported the fewest Covid-19 related deaths to NHS England, with 145 fatalities declared.

Across England as a whole, 28,174 have now lost their lives following a coronavirus diagnosis, with 4,539 being from the North West - the region which has recorded the most deaths.