NO new patient deaths at Royal Bolton Hospital have been linked to coronavirus for the sixth day in a row.

Figures released by NHS England yesterday afternoon revealed the last death at the hospital of someone with the virus occurred on June 10.

This death was added to official figures the next day, on June 11, meaning that no new coronavirus-related deaths have been reported for six days.

A total of 221 people have died at the hospital with the illness since the pandemic began, with around 42,000 people in the UK succumbing to the illness.

Almost 300,000 cases have been confirmed across the country, with 1,045 people testing positive in Bolton.

The sixth day of no new deaths came as Matt Hancock announced that 240,000 doses of the drug dexamethasone, a steroid shown to reduce mortality in worst hit patients by a third, are “in stock and on order”.

He said: “It is not by any means a cure but it is the best news we have had.”

Speaking in the Commons, he added: “Seven other drugs are currently being trialled as part of the Recovery Trial and a further nine further drugs are in live clinical trials as part of the Accord Programme which is looking at early-stage treatments.”