THERE were 19 further Covid-19 related deaths in Shropshire in the week up to May 22, according to official statistics released on Tuesday.

The numbers were published by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday, showing that 10 people died in hospitals in Shropshire while there were nine further deaths in care homes, all featuring Covid-19 on the death certificates.

Tuesday’s ONS release takes number of deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK to just under 50,000.

Death registrations in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland show 48,896 deaths in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.

A further 819 hospital patients in England who had tested positive for Covid-19 died between May 23 and 31, according to figures published on Monday by NHS England, indicating the overall death toll for the UK is now just over 49,700.