THREE more Covid patients have sadly died at the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust in the past week.

The latest NHS figures show that one Covid patient died on July 22, one died on July 24 and the other on July 26.

It brings the total number of Covid deaths at the hospital trust since the beginning of the pandemic to 742.

The news comes as more than 50 Covid patients are still being treated at the hospital trust.

Although coronavirus restrictions have pretty much been relaxed everywhere since the pandemic was first recorded in the UK in early 2020, there are still dozens of Covid patients being treated at the hospital each week.

The latest available figures show that, as of 8am on Tuesday, July 26, there were 56 Covid patients being treated at the hospital. No Covid patients in the hospital required the use of a mechanical ventilator bed.

Across this year, the number of Covid patients first peaked at 104 on January 13, before falling to 29 by February 12. Numbers then rose sharply in early April to hit the year-high figure of 113 on April 13, before dropping dramatically over the following month as the booster vaccinations took effect.

By June 9, there were only two Covid patients being treated, but that number has since risen again as vaccine immunity has waned.

Since June 23, the number of Covid patients at the hospital has only once dropped below 40 (July 18, when there were 39).

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,781 Covid patients have been admitted to the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust.