There have been a further 154 coronavirus deaths in the UK, with the government's official death toll now passing 43,000.
The Department of Health has just tweeted with the latest grim update, with 154 deaths recorded in all settings over the past 24 hours.
While the deaths will not have all occurred in that period, it is still a worryingly large number of people succumbing to the virus as the country prepares for a widescale lifting of lockdown restrictions next weekend.
The tweet from the Department of Health read: "As of 9am 24 June, there have been 8,542,186 tests, with 232,086 tests on 23 June. 306,862 people have tested positive. As of 5pm on 23 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 43,081 have sadly died."
Earlier today a statement from NHS England said that a further 51 of those who died were in English hospitals.
A statement said: "Patients were aged between 48 and 96 years old. All patients had known underlying health conditions.
"Their families have been informed."
The Midlands was the worst hit area today with 19 deaths, with the North West next on 11.
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There have been no further deaths from Covid-19 reported in Merseyside's hospitals today.
The region has been hit hard by deaths during the crisis, but has seen consistently low numbers of fatalities in recent weeks.
While no coronavirus deaths were reported today by Merseyside Trusts, one more death was recorded at the Trust covering nearby Halton and Warrington.
The current death tolls for individual Trusts in our region are as follows:
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Royal, Aintree, Broadgreen): 458
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - 235
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust - 4
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust - 4
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 130 (+1)
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - 19
Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust - 3
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust - 146 (+1)
St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - 2 06 (+1)
The Walton Centre - 10
