Royal Bolton Hospital has not linked any new patient deaths to coronavirus for over a week and a half.

Figures released by NHS England this afternoon revealed the last death at the hospital of someone with the virus occurred on June 10.

This death was added to official figures the next day, on June 11, meaning that no new coronavirus-related deaths have been reported for 11 days.

This is the longest period with no new deaths recorded at the borough's hospital since the first patient death was linked to the virus in March.

A total of 221 people have died at the hospital with the illness since the pandemic began, with over 42,000 people in the UK succumbing to the illness.

Over 304,000 cases have been confirmed across the country, with 1,052 people testing positive in Bolton.

The news comes as Boris Johnson is expected to announce plans for the hospitality sector to reopen from July 4 to Parliament on Tuesday.

Mr Johnson is discussing the changes with the Covid-19 strategy committee this afternoon, attended by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty.

He will then outline plans to Parliament tomorrow for pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers to reopen in England from July 4, and a likely loosening of the distancing guidance to boost the economic restart.

On Sunday, the PM said the progress made in the fight against coronavirus during three months of lockdown mean “it will be possible to open up more”.

“The disease is increasingly under control and I just want people to reflect on that important fact,” he added in a Downing Street interview.

Guidance will be published for each sector on how businesses can reduce the spread of Covid-19 when they reopen.

The public are also expected to be warned that the newest relaxation of rules will be the first to be reversed if there are widespread breaches that prompt the virus to spread uncontrollably.

A No 10 spokesman said: “We will not hesitate to put the handbrake on to stop the virus running out of control.”