THE first coronavirus death in ​over a week has been recorded at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Latest figures from NHS Englandshow 233 people have died in hospital at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust as of 5pm on Thursday.

That was an increase of one compared to the 232 that had been recorded at the same point on Wednesday, and the first death in nine days.

The victims were among 4,947 deaths recorded across the North West, which is the third-worst affected of England's seven NHS regions after London and the midlands.

Of 28 trusts within the region, Bolton's trust has the ninth-highest death toll.

The Bolton News:

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.