More than a third of all Covid-related deaths at a Norfolk hospital during the pandemic happened in January 2021, latest figures show.

Data from Public Health England shows 105 people died up to January 29 at Gorleston's James Paget University Hospital - but the numbers are decreasing as infection rates fall.

The toll accounts for 38pc of all deaths with Covid during the pandemic and is the most deaths recorded in a single month.

The previous peak was 76 recorded in April 2020.

Overall there have been 279 deaths at Gorleston's JPUH, 505 at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, 374 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, and 62 at other community hospitals.

At the JPUH there have been 19 deaths in the last seven days (January 23-29) - more than half the number than earlier in the month.

The most in a seven-day period was 41 (January 12-18).

The week also saw the highest number of deaths in one day - 10 on January 17.

The number of Covid patients at the JPUH as of January 26 was 115, four of whom were in intensive care.

Meanwhile, coronavirus infection rates are falling across Norfolk.

Public Health England data shows the county’s rate stood at 306 infections per 100,000 people in the week up to January 27 – a drop of 23pc from the week before.

Rates dropped in Great Yarmouth by 24pc, but the area still recorded the highest rate in the county with 376 infections per 100,000.

In some urban areas of the town rates remain among the highest in the county with 582.5 infections per 100,000 in the Central and Northgate area.

On January 31 (Sunday) the JPUH confirmed that four people who had tested positive for Covid-19 had died.

The patients were two women and a man in their 80s and a man in his 90s. All had underlying health conditions.

On February 1 (Monday) a statement said three more people had died with the virus.

They were a man in his 40s, and a woman and a man in their 70s, all with underlying health conditions.

A statement said: "Their families have been informed and our thoughts and condolences are with them."