JUST one additional case of coronavirus has been added today, taking the updated borough tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 245.

However, across the UK there was a significant jump in the number of cases, with 5386 cases reported by Public Health England in the last 24 hours – a rise of around a thousand on the day before and the UK total number of cases is now 143,464.

In hospitals across the UK, an additional 684 deaths have been recorded, taking the country's total of deaths from coronavirus-related causes to 19,506.

Meanwhile the Mid & South Essex Hospitals Trust, which runs Basildon & Thurrock Hospital as well as Southend and Chelmsford Hospitals, says it is currently caring for 201 patients across its three sites who have confirmed COVID-19 today.

The Trust has also given details of how it has switched treatment for non-coronavirus illnesses, including surgery, to private sector hospitals where the NHS is now picking up the bill.

Basildon Hospital patients needing surgery for some cancers or other urgent health conditions are being treated at the Nuffield Health Brentwood Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last three weeks 27 patients who would have been treated at Basildon Hospital have had cancer surgery and 22 have had urgent trauma surgery at the Nuffield Health Brentwood facility. This includes treatment for breast, urology, thyroid and gynaecology cancers.

The Trust says such numbers are likely to rise in the coming weeks.

A statement from the Trust says: "We are committed to ensuring patients continue to receive cancer treatment and diagnostics where it is clinically appropriate during the pandemic. However, certain treatments are being deferred if deemed too high risk for the patient.

"Trust surgeons are performing the operations while the Nuffield is providing the anaesthetists, theatres and nursing staff."