THERE have been seven further deaths of coronavirus patients confirmed across Sussex over the weekend.

The latest batch of data released daily by the NHS showed that three people had died in hospitals on Sunday after contracting the virus and a further four had died on Saturday.

The NHS figures do not include deaths outside of hospital, such as in care homes.

On Sunday, all three deaths were recorded at sites owned by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which operates hospitals supporting the Crawley and Horsham areas, as well as parts of East Surrey.

Another two deaths were confirmed at hospitals within this trust on Saturday, taking the total for the organisation to 39.

The other two casualties on Saturday were recorded at a site run by the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which operates hospitals in Eastbourne, Bexhill, Rye and St Leonards, and the Royal Sussex County Hospital - run by the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

There have now been a total of 14 death at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust hospitals, and another 14 deaths have been confirmed at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust sites.

The other hospital trusts to operate in the county are the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, which provides care across the area, and the Western Sussex Hospitals Foundation Trust, which has sites in Chichester, Worthing and Shoreham.

There have been four and 15 deaths at these trusts respectively.

The total number of patients to have died in Sussex NHS trust hospitals after contracting coronavirus currently stands at 86.

The first coronavirus patient death confirmed by any of the trusts in Sussex was on March 17. This was recorded by the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

The most deaths recorded in a single day came on March 31when all five recorded fatalities.

There were two deaths at both Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.

Both Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Western Sussex Hospitals Foundation Trust recorded five deaths, and there was a further casualty with the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust - a total of 15.