Eleven people who tested positive for coronavirus died at a Norfolk hospital within just three days.

In a statement posted to its website on January 3, a James Paget University Hospital spokesperson said: "Sadly, we can confirm that 11 people who were being cared for at the James Paget University Hospital, who had tested positive for Covid-19, have died.

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"The patients were one woman and three men in their 70s, and five women and two men in their 80s. All had underlying health conditions.

"Their families have been informed and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this difficult time."

Breaking down the figures, NHS statistics show that three of these patients died on December 30, three on December 31 and five on January 1, 2021.

This brings the total number of deaths of Covid-19 positive patients within the JPH's care to 179.

The statistics give an insight into the enormous strain placed on hospitals as a result of the new variant of the virus, which is thought to be 50-70pc more transmissible than the old variant.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown, he warned that chief medical officers believed the NHS was "at risk of being overwhelmed within 21 days in several areas" without further action.

In Norfolk, every local authority has a new record high in terms of cases per 100,000 for the seven days up to December 31, with Great Yarmouth's rate reaching 522.5 - up from 232.5 the week before. This is a record high for any local authority in Norfolk at any point during the pandemic.