Three more fatalities confirmed in Lincolnshire trust's hospitals as a result of coronavirus
Three more fatalities have been reported by the trust which runs Grantham Hospital.
Officials from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said those who died at its hospitals had underlying health conditions.
A spokesperson for ULHT said: “Sadly we can confirm that three further patients who were being cared for in our hospitals, and had tested positive for COVID-19, have died.
“The patients were all men, aged 73, 80 and 83, and all had underlying health conditions.
“Their families have been informed and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this difficult and distressing time.”
Grantham businessman Paul Bullock, 73, died on Monday after 10 days in intensive care at Lincoln County Hospital.
The death toll for coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire reached 17.
Three more deaths have also been confirmed at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.
So far, nine people have died in Lincolnshire after being tested positive for COVID-19 and eight in northern Lincolnshire.
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire County Council’s Director of Public Health, Professor Derek Ward, said it was vital to increase testing for the virus.
The government admitted that tests were being delivered to hospitals and frontline NHS staff too slowly.
Professor Ward reiterated the importance of testing, in particular on frontline staff.
“It’s absolutely vital,” he said. “My team deal with this issue day in, day out with such things as hepatitis and TB.
“Having a test to confirm it is fundamental. It’s equally as important to test those people who have had it and cleared it.”
It comes as it was confirmed that the death toll across the UK reached 2,352 deaths.
As of 9am today (April 1), 29,474 cases were confirmed positive for COVID-19.
Lincolnshire saw its biggest daily increase yesterday, after the number of cases increased by 26 to 104.
In the UK, 152,979 people have been tested according to the Department of Health.
Urgent appeal by hospice for protective equipment
