DEATHS from COVID-19 in Bolton have almost doubled in the last week, with 13 people from the area confirmed to have died from the virus.

Latest figures from the National Health Service show that on Monday two people died at the Royal Bolton Hospital, with a further two on April 1 and another two Thursday.

However, the number may be greater as deaths are only added to the statistics after a post mortem confirms the diagnosis and do not include deaths which may have occurred outside hospitals, such as in care homes.

In the North West there have now been 365 confirmed deaths from the illness in hospitals since the outbreak began with 3,302 in England.

The vast majority of them, 3,040, have been people age 60 and above, but three of them have been children or teenagers.

Workers living with elderly relatives are being warned to take"extreme care" to avoid an increased risk of catching coronavirus as figures show more than 1.2 million people over 70 across the UK live with someone of working age.

The Government advises anyone aged 70 or over to be "particularly stringent" in following social distancing measures, as they are especially vulnerable to Covid-19.

But residing with people of working age may bring challenges, charity Age UK has warned, as key workers still go out to work and younger people can venture outdoors for essential trips.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: "Staying safe in multi-generational households is challenging but also incredibly important, especially if the older person already has significant health issues.

"In the end it's about being really cautious and exercising your common sense - that's the best way of keeping the virus at bay."