THE first coronavirus deaths in four days have been recorded in Brighton and Hove, the latest figures show.

According to NHS England, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust recorded 172 deaths as of 5pm on Tuesday.

That was an increase of seven fatalities compared to the 165 deaths recorded at the same point on Monday, and the first deaths reported in four days.

Two people are reported to have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in East Sussex, bringing the total number of deaths within East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust to 107.

In West Sussex, one new fatality was recorded, bringing the total number to 132 at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The victims were among the 595 people to have died across the UK, and the total death toll now stands at 50,365.

Daily death counts are revised each day, with each case backdated to the actual date of death. This means some of the deaths that were first recorded in the latest period may actually have taken place days earlier.

Almost 300 new cases of coronavirus were recorded across Sussex during the period.

In Brighton and Hove there were 57 new cases, as 3,099 people had tested positive by 9am today - up from 3,042 the same time on Tuesday.

In West Sussex 133 new cases were reported, bringing the total figure to 7,121, since the pandemic began. East Sussex recorded 102 new cases, bringing its total to 3,858.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 22,950 over the period to 1,256,725.

The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the government’s mass testing programme.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.