A FURTHER three patients have died at Morecambe Bay health trust hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.

They included a 78 year-old woman who passed away at Furness General in Barrow.

Two other people - a 79-year-old woman and a 95-year-old woman - died at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

The deaths were confirmed in a statement on Saturday afternoon, which followed confirmation on Friday evening of three other deaths at trust hospitals - two of them at Furness General.

"We can confirm that, sadly, a further three patients have died who tested positive for COVID-19 whilst being treated at our hospitals," said Aaron Cummins, chief executive for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, "They all had underlying health conditions and died in the past two days.

"Our thoughts and condolences remain with the patients’ families and loved ones, and we would ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."