The number of people who have died with Coronavirus in the Moorlands now stands at 85, according to the latest update released earlier today by the Office for National Statistics.

The rate of deaths has increased this week, with three deaths being recorded in this week's latest figures. In the weeks prior, only one death was being recorded each week.

It comes as the Moorlands, along with the rest of England, gets used to a new four-week lockdown period lasting until December.

However, there is also a ray of hope, after it was announced that a vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, has been found to be 90% effective in preventing people from getting the virus.

The local Coronavirus death figures are released weekly, with the latest figures relating to the week ending Friday, October 30th.

The figures also show that the latest deaths took place in a hospital.

Of the 85 Moorlands deaths, 62 have taken place in hospitals, 16 have occurred in care homes, three have occurred at home, with two at other communal establishments, one in a hospice, and one elsewhere.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Moorlands has now recorded a total of 1,745 cases as of yesterday (Monday).

This represents an increase of 384 Moorlands cases compared to the 1,361 cases recorded in Biddulph Nub News's previous update last week.

In Staffordshire as a whole (excluding Stoke-on-Trent) there have been a total of 16,892 cases recorded since the start of the pandemic.

That is an increase of 3,407 compared to the total number of cases recorded last week.

The Moorlands had 387 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week (30th October - 5th November.) The average area in England had 174.

The Moorlands, and indeed the whole of Staffordshire including Stoke-on-Trent, is currently in tier two - or the "High" tier - of the three-tier system of local restrictions.

However, these measures have been temporarily put on hold as the lockdown has brought in a range of tougher restrictions.

For the full list of rules in the latest lockdown, check on the Government's website here.