NHS staff at hospitals in Ipswich and Colchester have saved nearly 400 lives of patients with Covid-19 symptoms.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust confirmed another two dozen people had been discharged from their main hospitals at Ipswich and Colchester, and other community hospitals.

The 24 this week takes the total since the outbreak to 399 lives saved by HNS hospital staff that look after this area.

Sadly, another seven people died at Ipswich hospital and another 10 at Colchester hospital, with all of the patients tested positive for coronavirus and all had underlying health conditions.

Trust chief executive Nick Hulme passed the ESNEFT's sympathies.

Meanwhile, 146 people in the Babergh district have been tested positive for Covid-19.

Test and Trace its set to begin in our district through the Suffolk Resilience Forum,

outbreak control plans will focus on identifying and containing potential outbreaks in places such as workplaces, housing complexes, care homes and schools, ensuring testing capacity is deployed effectively and helping the most vulnerable in self-isolation access essential services in their area.

Currently colleagues across the Suffolk system from NHS to District & Borough councils have come together to plan for the Test and Trace programme implementation so that Suffolk is ready when the programme is rolled out.

The Government has also announced some additional funding to local authorities (£300m nationally) which will be deployed to further strengthen the local approach.