HEALTH chiefs in Cumbria have reported almost 400 coronavirus deaths in all settings, with ten hospital patient deaths recorded in just two days last week.

The figures were published yesterday as the county's Director of Public Health Colin Cox spoke of worrying signs over the weekend that some people were starting to relax their willingness to continue observing the UK's strict lockdown rules.

According to the latest Government figures, the number of fatalities reported by the county's NHS hospitals trusts - in charge of The Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, Whitehaven's West Cumberland Hospital, and Furness General Hospital in Barrow - yesterday stood at 275.

A further 118 Covid-19 deaths are thought to have happened in care homes in the county.

At North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust. which runs the hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven, there have been 125 fatalities reported. On April April 30, four patient deaths were reported.

A single patient death was reported on three of the last five days for which figures were released - April 29, May 1 and May 2. No deaths were reported on Sunday.

At University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital in Barrow and one in Lancashire, the death toll rose to 150.

Five of those deaths were on April 29 and 30.

A further seven deaths have been reported by the North East based NHS trust which run's Carlisle's Carleton Clinic, though where those patients died has not been revealed. "Overall, the trend for deaths in hospitals is still downwards," said Mr Cox. "But we need to continue encouraging people to socially distance and stay at home until that changes nationally.

"There was a bit of a sense at the weekend of people feeling that they were getting back to normal; there was more traffic and people letting themselves out of lockdown.

"But there's still a very significant risk. If people do start to reduce the social distancing they are currently doing then we could see a second wave, so it is critical that people still follow that national message."

Cumbria Constabulary’s Assistant Chief Constable Andy Slattery, who chairs the county's Local Resilience Forum, Andrew Slattery, said the weekend saw an increase in the number of people ignoring the public health restrictions.

Dozens of people were given Fixed Penalty Notices for unnecessary travel, including from as far away as London.

Mr Slattery said: "The North-West region has been one of the hardest hit areas of the country and the restrictions are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"Getting in your car and travelling here will put further strain on health resources. It will also increase your own chance of contracting the virus – and passing it on to other people, including family members.”

* At the north Cumbrian Hospital trust, nearly 200 Covid-19 patients have been discharged since the virus hit Cumbria.