More than 100 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded at a hospital trust for the second month in a row.

And a record-breaking 60 new deaths were reported at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust by NHS England today alone, taking the coronavirus death toll at the trust to 724 since the pandemic began.

Not all of the 60 deaths occurred in the last 24 hours, with some deaths taking longer to be registered and then reported by the NHS.

However, all of the 60 deaths reported today occured in January, except one on December 17, and takes the total number of deaths of patients, who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid, in December to 107 and 168 in January, amid a time when the trust has been looking after a record number of Covid patients.

On January 19, the trust was caring for 302 Covid patients, which was down from 347 on January 12, but still much higher than the peak of 146 patients during the spring.

When ITV cameras were allowed into Watford General earlier this month, hospital matron Vicky Houghton described how "soul destroying" it had been seeing families coming into hospital and being "wiped out" by the virus.

Read more: Inside Watford General as pressures of hospital highlighted

She also mentioned how there were more younger patients coming into hospital with Covid.

Watford Observer:

Patient Rob Orton, 48, was interviewed by ITV but he was unable to speak. Credit: ITV/West Herts NHS

There appears to be little data available online about the ages of Covid patients who have passed away at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust; however NHS England does provide figures (below) on the ages of those admitted to the hospital trust with Covid.

The following NHS data is for West Hertfordshire Hospital NHS Trust between December 1 and January 6, unless specified.

• More than 430 Covid admissions, including just over 200 patients aged 18-64, just under 150 aged 65-84, 79 aged over 85, 7 aged 6-17, and 2 aged 0-5

• A further 250 patients were diagnosed with Covid within 24 hours of arrival, majority of which were aged over 65

• A further 313 Covid admissions and diagnoses’ at the trust between January 7 and 17

• 302 Covid patients being cared for as of January 19

• Just over 300 Covid-related deaths reported (Dec 1 – January 24)

• Just over 200 discharges of Covid patients, including 104 aged 18-64, 76 aged 65-84, 41 aged over 80, 2 aged 0-5, and 0 aged 6-17.

• The trust had more than 400 Covid-related staff absences by the end of December

• 43 unoccupied adult general and acute beds as of January 19

Specific data on the government dashboard for Hertfordshire residents reveals there have been 1,838 deaths of patients, who had tested positive for Covid within 28 days of their death, in any setting since March 2020, of which a little under half have been in December and January.

Although infection rates are dropping in Hertfordshire, particularly in the Three Rivers and St Albans districts, Hertfordshire’s public health director Jim McManus warned residents yesterday the county is "not out of the woods" and there was "no cause for complacency", especially because hospitals in Hertfordshire remain so busy.

Read more: Praise for residents but 'no cause for complacency'

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