MORE than 140 patients have been discharged from local hospitals after battling coronavirus.

The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that 141 men and women have successfully overcome the fatal virus.

The patients have been discharged from Westmorland General Hospital (three), Furness General Hospital (75) and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (71).

Sue Smith OBE, executive chief nurse and deputy chief executive of UHMBT, said: “Our colleagues have been working tirelessly to care for patients and help them to get back home as soon as possible.

"Our fantastic community teams will now continue to offer support for some of these patients in their own home.

“It is a hugely worrying time for everyone and we are proud of our teams for the exceptional levels of care and dedication they are displaying, despite the unprecedented pressure they are under.

“This is an ongoing pandemic and our hard-working staff will continue to go over and above to ensure everyone is treated with great care, skill, respect and compassion, and we would ask everyone to ensure they stay at home to help protect the NHS."

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, who is himself battling suspected coronavirus, was delighted to hear so many patients had recovered.

“This is extremely welcome news,” he said.

“I want to say a massive thank you to our amazing local NHS staff who have been heroically working day and night to save lives.”

There are now 93,873​ confirmed cases across the UK.

At the Morecambe Bay trust, the number of fatalities is now 114.

Figures released by NHS England show that - despite hopes that the pandemic may be nearing its peak in Cumbria - the county has in the last three or four days seen the disease continue to claim lives, with six deaths being reported on Sunday alone in the hospitals managed by UHMBT.

A further four patient deaths from Covid-19 were reported by the trust on Monday.

The overall number of coronavirus fatalities at the two NHS trusts with Cumbrian hospitals is currently 193.

The figures were released as it was confirmed that the UK’s coronavirus death toll is nearing 13,000 after another 801 people sadly lost their lives in the last 24 hours.