Latest figures show West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has recorded 177 COVID-19 related deaths

The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust - which manages Hemel Hempstead Hospital, Watford General Hospital and St Albans City Hospital - has recorded 177 COVID-19 associated deaths, according to figures from NHS England.

The figures released from Public Health England show that there are 40 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hertfordshire in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,904.

But the true number of cases is thought to be far higher with many people not being tested.

The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has recorded 177 COVID-19 related deaths, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust has recorded six deaths, the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust has recorded five deaths and there have been 92 deaths recorded by the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust.

Nationally, the number of coronavirus cases now stands at 129,044 (includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the country totals), rising by 4,301. The number of COVID-19 associated UK deaths in hospital has been recorded as 17,337, rising by 828 today - according to Public Health England.

The figures for the number of patients recovered from COVID-19 have not been released by Public Health England.

All the figures refer only to people who have been tested in hospital. The true extent of infection among the wider public, who have no access to testing kits, is as yet unknown.

The new figures were recorded between 5pm on Sunday and 5pm on Monday.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do

- Stay at home

- Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)

- If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times

- Wash your hands as soon as you get home

- Do not meet others, even friends or family.

- You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.