ELEVEN people are reported to have died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, according to Government figures, released four hours late.

The death toll in Hampshire has risen from 804 to 815. Some 246 new cases have been reported in the Hampshire County Council area, up to 14,944 since the start of the pandemic in March.

Figures published by NHS England show that two people have died in the area covered by the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that includes the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, one in the Portsmouth area over the last 24 hours and three in Southampton.

So far, 223 people have died with Covid at University Hospital Southampton. At Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust the toll now stands at 262, and at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes the RHCH in Winchester, there have been 188 recorded deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 694 deaths across Hampshire.

Comparison of the number of new cases has proved impossible in the last few days after a change in the way the statistics are gathered. Public Health England says it has updated the way it records the location of people who have been tested for Covid-19 meaning counts of cases and deaths have been updated to reflect this. Often the numbers released by the NHS do not match the daily numbers issued by Government.

On Monday the number of cases in Winchester district dropped from 1,533 to 1,466. Today it is at 1,492, an increase of 26.

But the numbers are still rising steadily. The number of deaths in the Winchester district has risen from 86 on Monday to 90 today.

Data shows that the infection rate in the Winchester district in the seven days to November 12 is 216 cases or 173.0 in every 100,000 people. It is now fifth highest in Hampshire after Portsmouth, Havant, Southampton and fast-rising Gosport.

‘Winchester district’ comprises more than the city and is the city council area which stretches from Micheldever in the north to Southwick in the south, from Sparsholt in the west to Bramdean in the east.

The daily statistics are usually released at around 4pm. Today's perhaps because of the changes already mentioned, were issued at 8pm.

Meanwhile, more schools have been affected by Covid-19 although all remain open.

Winnall primary, Cheriton primary, Kings' secondary, Denmead Junior and Perins secondary in Alresford have all reported cases on or since Friday.

Deaths in local authority areas are Winchester: 90; Portsmouth: 93; Southampton: 131 and Hampshire 815 (including Winchester).

The numbers of Covid sufferers being admitted to hospital is climbing again. There were 130 on Sunday up from 97 on Friday, in hospitals across the south-east region. Today there are 1,071 patients in south-east hospitals, up from 1,041 on Sunday. Eighty-eight are on ventilators, up five on Sunday.

The latest figure for Covid patients at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital is 57 on Monday down on 63 last on Wednesday. Some 43 Covid patients are at the North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke.