A FURTHER 13 people have died in Dorset hospitals bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 539.

Figures released today by NHS England reveal there were 10 more deaths reported in University Hospitals Dorset in the last 24 hours.

Two more people died at Dorset County Hospital and there was one more death within the Dorset Healthcare Universities Trust.

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University Hospitals Dorset has seen a total of 256 deaths. Its predecessors - the Royal Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals - saw 68 and 107 deaths respectively before the merger

Dorset County Hospital has seen 63 deaths and there have been 45 in the Dorset Healthcare Universities Trust.

A further 710 people, who tested positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) have died in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 65,814.

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Patients were aged between 25 and 101 years old. All except 33 (aged 28 to 93 years old) had known underlying health conditions.

The highest number of deaths were reported in London and the Midlands - 144 in each - with 114 in the East of England, 104 in the South East, 84 in the North East and Yorkshire, 70 in the North West and 50 in the South West.