SIX more people who tested positive for coronavirus have died at the St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

According to the latest data from NHS England, three patients died on Thursday, April 2, the heaviest death toll recorded at the trust so far.

Two patients also died on Friday, April 3, with one patient dying on Wednesday, April 1.

Their families have been informed.

The total number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of death at the trust now stands at 18.

The latest daily figures show there have been deaths at the trust, which runs Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals, every day for the last eight days.

The first death was registered on March 22.

It is understood that not all of those who died were being cared for in Whiston Hospital, with Newton Community Hospital also being utilised by the trust.

Across England, a further 637 people who tested positive for the coronavirus have died in the last 24 hours.

This brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 3,939.

Among the dead is a five-year-old with an underlying health issue who has become the youngest person to die in England after contracting coronavirus.

A 104-year-old also died.

Out of the 637 patients, 40 had no known underlying health condition.

Across the UK, as of 5pm on April 3, of those hospitalised who tested positive for coronavirus, 4,313 have died.

This is an increase of 708 from the previous day, the biggest daily rise in the UK to date.

As of 9am 4 April, a total of 183,190 people have been tested of whom 41,903 tested positive.