HEALTH service figures suggest there have been no new deaths at either of Cumbria’s hospital trusts as a result of coronavirus for a week.

According to the latest statistics provided by NHS England, neither of the two NHS trusts in the county have recorded a new death directly related to the virus in at least seven days.

The last recorded death at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) was more than a week ago, on Friday May 15.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19-related deaths at UHMBT now stands at 159, while the total for North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) is 146.

The last recorded death at the latter trust in the NHS England data was on Saturday May 16.

UHMBT runs Furness General Hospital on the edge of Barrow and Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal, among other health centres.

The NCIC manages the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and Whitehaven’s West Cumberland Hospital.

However, the daily NHS England figures do not cover care home deaths in the country.

A UHMBT spokesman also said that, as the figures are being updated retrospectively and the criteria continues to change, it is not possible to categorically say no Covid-19 deaths have occurred on the dates given by NHS England.

The new figures come as the UK experienced a significant increase in the number of Covid-19 deaths over the past few days for the first time in a number of weeks.

A further 121 people who tested positive for the virus died yesterday.

This brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 25,387.

Yesterday’s reduced total followed a rise of 338 in the UK on Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to more than 36,000.

Meanwhile, the government has announced that from June 8, anyone entering the UK will have to quarantine themselves for 14 days. This measure will be reviewed every three weeks.

Travellers will have to provide their address in the UK so that border force staff can provide spot checks.

There will be fines of up to £1,000 for breaking the rules and some repeat offenders could be removed from the UK. Others could be refused entry if they are found to have provided false information

Freight drivers, some medical professionals and foreign officials will be among those who are exempt from the quarantine requirements.