EIGHT further deaths of coronavirus patients being treated at Sussex hospital trust sites have been confirmed overnight.

This takes the total number of casualties at hospitals in the county to 568 since the outbreak of the virus in the UK, as of 5pm on Wednesday (May 27).

But this figure does not include deaths outside hospitals, such as in care homes.

Three of the deaths were confirmed by the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

There have now been 127 deaths at these sites.

A further four deaths were recorded at hospitals operated by Western Sussex Hospitals Foundation Trust, taking its total to 105. The final death was the 241st recorded at sites run by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

The figures for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (80) and Sussex Community Foundation Trust (15) remained the same as the day before.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased in all areas of Sussex. East Sussex had the greatest rise, moving from 700 cases to 708, while the number of people diagnosed in Brighton and Hove climbed from 429 to 434, as of 9am yesterday (May 28).

Three further cases in West Sussex took the region’s overall figure to 1,320, meaning 2,462 people in Sussex have been diagnosed with coronavirus.

Nationally, there have been 37,837 recorded deaths of patients who have contracted the illness, according to Public Health England figures. A total of 377 deaths were confirmed in the 24 hours leading up to 5pm on Wednesday (May 28).

  • The coronavirus Sussex Crisis Fund has been set up to help those affected by the pandemic. The Argus’s charity and American Express have each donated £50,000 to kick-start the appeal. Grants will usually be for up to £5,000. More information is available at www.sussexgiving. org.uk/apply. To donate visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/sussexcrisisfund