Five more people have died in Norfolk hospitals after being diagnosed with coronavirus, it has been confirmed.

The total number of people who have died in the county’s hospitals now stands at 164.

Three people have died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital after receiving treatment for Covid-19, the NHS reported two people died yesterday (Friday April, 17) and one person died on April 16.

James Paget University Hospital reported a further two deaths from the virus, one person died yesterday and one person died on April 16.

The number of deaths has dropped since yesterday when hospitals in Norfolk recorded eleven deaths from people who had tested positive for coronavirus.

In Suffolk, a further seven patients have died at hospitals run by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, bringing the total to 156 deaths.

West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds reported no deaths today and have confirmed a total of 21 deaths during the pandemic.

Eastern Daily Press: A dummy COVID-19 swab is handled inside a sealed sterile tube during a demonstration by lab technicians who are carrying out diagnostic tests for coronavirus. Picture: Ben Birchall/PA WireA dummy COVID-19 swab is handled inside a sealed sterile tube during a demonstration by lab technicians who are carrying out diagnostic tests for coronavirus. Picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

NHS England has announced 888 new deaths of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals across the country to 15,464.

So far, the deadliest day for coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals was just over a week ago, on Friday April, 10, where a record 980 people died.

It comes as a key adviser to the Government on coronavirus has said trials for a vaccine for the disease could be completed by mid-August.

Human testing of a potential vaccine is due to begin within the next week at Oxford University.

Professor Sir John Bell, a member of the Government’s vaccine task force and an adviser on life sciences, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The real question is will it have efficacy? Will it protect people, and that has not been tested and it will only be tested once you have vaccinated a significant number of people and exposed them to the virus and counted how many people have got the virus in that population. So, we won’t even get a signal for that until May.

“But if things go on course and it does have efficacy, then I think it is reasonable to think that they would be able to complete their trial by mid-August.”