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

This takes the total number at hospitals in the county to 573 since the outbreak of the virus in the UK, as of 5pm on Thursday.

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

Two 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 129 deaths at these sites.

A further two deaths were recorded at hospitals operated by Western Sussex Hospitals Foundation Trust, taking its total to 107.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust recorded one further death, bringing its total to 81.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (242) and Sussex Community Foundation Trust (15) remained the same as the day before.

No further cases were registered in Sussex yesterday, according to Government data. East Sussex remained at 708, Brighton and Hove remained at 434 and West Sussex remained at 1,320. This means 2,462 people in Sussex have been diagnosed with coronavirus.

Nationally, there have been 38,161 recorded deaths of patients who have contracted the illness, according to Public Health England figures.

A total of 324 deaths were confirmed in the 24 hours leading up to 5pm on Thursday.