A FURTHER 1,283 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the North-East and North Yorkshire in the last 24 hours.

Another 87 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England.

A further three patients died who had not tested positive for the virus, but Covid-19 was mentioned on their death certificate.

A further 14 deaths were reported at hospitals in the North-East.

Six deaths were reported at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust. Three were recorded at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and two at both the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust and Gateshead Health NHS Trust.

One death was reported at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.

Separate figures show there were 3,905 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England as of Tuesday.

Figures for the last 24 hours:

County Durham: 7,612, was 7,328, an increase of 284

Darlington: 1,219, was 1,200, an increase of 19

Gateshead: 3,219, was 3,141, an increase of 78

Hartlepool: 1,442, was 1,402, an increase of 40

Middlesbrough: 2,246, was 2,202, an increase of 44

Newcastle: 6,307, was 6,148, an increase of 159

North Tyneside: 2,683, was 2,626, an increase of 57

North Yorkshire: 5,222, was 5,075, an increase of 147

Northumberland: 3,786, was 3,733, an increase of 53

Redcar and Cleveland: 1,471, was 1,435, an increase of 36

South Tyneside: 2,689, was 2,639, an increase of 50

Stockton: 2,528, was 2,409, an increase of 119

Sunderland: 4,884, was 4,778, an increase of 106

York: 2,190, was 2,099, an increase of 91

Total increase in North-East and North Yorkshire of 1,283

In other coronavirus-related news:

SIR Keir Starmer has called on Boris Johnson to impose a short “circuit-breaker” lockdown across England to bring the coronavirus resurgence under control.

The Labour leader heaped pressure on to the Prime Minister after it emerged he dismissed a recommendation for the measure from Government scientists, last month.

In his most dramatic intervention to date, Sir Keir said a two to three-week national lockdown over the school half-term was needed to improve test and trace and prevent, “a sleepwalk into a long and bleak winter”.

He told a televised press conference that Mr Johnson was, “no longer following the scientific advice”, by proposing, “far less stringent restrictions”, than suggested by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

Sir Keir said: “There’s no longer time to give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt.

“The Government’s plan simply isn’t working. Another course is needed.”

He said schools must stay open but that all pubs, bars and restaurants should be closed during the circuit-breaker, while firms are compensated so, “no business loses out”, in order to, “break the cycle”, of infection.

LABOUR deputy leader, Angela Rayner, denied her party was playing politics with its call for a “circuit breaker”, saying a member of her family is in critical care with coronavirus.

She told Channel 4 News: “Members of my own family are in critical care at the moment with Covid, so the personal sacrifice that people have made and the difficulties that we have, we take no pleasure in saying to the Government that we think they’ve got this wrong.

“All we are doing is saying to the Government: ‘Do what needs to happen now to support our communities, to help our NHS and to listen to the scientific advice to keep people safe.’

“The measures that the Government announced yesterday are not going to do that.”

Asked about the family member, Ms Rayner said: “My aunty is not well at the moment.

“She’s in a hospital in Greater Manchester with Covid symptoms and is not very well.”

BORIS Johnson has suffered a major Tory backbench rebellion over the 10pm hospitality curfew, amid a growing backlash against Government coronavirus restrictions.

MPs approved the Government’s new three tier alert system for England without the need for a formal vote.

But a group of backbench Conservatives forced a division to register their disapproval over the curfew affecting pubs and restaurants in England, including Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison and Stockton South’s Matt Vickers.

The vote was symbolic as the new alert system supersedes the previous regulations and includes the 10pm curfew as a minimum measure.

Yet this did not stop 42 Tory MPs rebelling to retrospectively oppose the curfew, which was approved by 299 votes to 82, a majority of 217.

A total of 23 Labour MPs also opposed the measure, including former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mike Hill (Hartlepool), Kevan Jones (North Durham), Ian Lavery (Wansbeck), Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields), Ian Mearns (Gateshead), Grahame Morris (Easington), and Kate Osborne (Jarrow).

MORE than two million people who shielded during the peak of the pandemic do not yet need to shield again, the Government has said.

New advice has been published on what people who shielded previously should do depending on the Covid alert level in their area.

But the move triggered a backlash among some charities, which said vulnerable people may feel forced to go to work.

The Government said none of the alert levels in place in England will automatically trigger a warning to shield again – where people were told to stay home, at all times.

It follows concerns that those on the shielded list became extremely isolated during the first wave, with some too fearful to leave their homes for several months.

In future, those living in the highest risk areas (‘Tier 3’. Or, ‘Covid alert level three’) could be advised to adopt formal shielding if necessary, but they would receive a letter setting out the precautions they should take.

PUBLIC Health England (PHE) has warned the rise in Covid-19 deaths is “hugely concerning” as the UK sees the highest daily figure in four months.

The Government said a further 143 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday.

This brings the total number of deaths in the UK to 43,018, according to Government figures.

It is the highest daily figure since 164 deaths were reported on June 10, but there is often a delay in the reporting of deaths over a weekend.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 58,500 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Dr Yvonne Doyle, PHE medical director, said: “The trend in Covid-related deaths is starting to rise quickly, which is hugely concerning.

“We have seen cases increasing especially in older age groups, which is leading to more hospital admissions.

“This is a stark reminder for us to follow the guidelines.

“Importantly, do not mix with others when unwell."