THREE new coronavirus-related deaths were recorded at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals Trust in the latest 24-hour period, the latest official figures show.

It means there have been 10 deaths in the past week, down from 16 the previous week.

NHS England figures show that since the start of the outbreak in mid-March 341 people had died in hospital at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as of 5pm on Wednesday (November 25).

Last week it was revealed 87 patients with Covid-19 were being treated in Whiston Hospital.

Updated figures on admissions are expected to be released today.

Infection rates in St Helens and Knowsley have been falling, which is one of the reasons why the Liverpool City Region (which both boroughs falls under) will move into Tier 2 restrictions when national lockdown ends next week.

But both health and political leaders have warned against complacency, stressing the importance of following the rules, social distancing and hand washing advice.

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.