TWO coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in Bromsgrove in the first week of November - the first fatalities from the disease in the town in three months.

Office of National Statistics figures, updated on a weekly basis, revealed the two deaths in the district happened in the week ending November 6.

One death was recorded in a care home environment and the other in a hospital.

Prior to that, the most recent death of a Bromsgrove resident, with coronavirus listed on the death certificate, occurred in the week ending August 9.

In total, 138 Bromsgrove residents have now died with the illness since the pandemic began in March, a death toll which remains the highest in Worcestershire.

The sad news comes in a week where the number of reported cases in the district has dropped for the first time in several weeks.

The number of positive tests has steadily increased since the end of September, rising from a seven-day average of six cases back then to 42 just a few days ago.

After reaching a peak of 52 daily cases last Tuesday (November 10), the figure dropped to 33 on Thursday, 34 on Friday and 25 on Saturday.

Figures seen by the Advertiser showed Bromsgrove was the only area in Worcestershire where cases dropped last week.

Indeed, the district went from having the most cases in the county the week before last (220) to the second least (215) last week as positive tests spiralled in Redditch, Worcester and Wyre Forest.