More than 150 patients have recovered from coronavirus at Norwich’s main hospital.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) announced on Monday that 156 people had been discharged following treatment for the virus.

A spokesman said: “Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, 156 patients have been treated at NNUH and have returned home to continue their recoveries.

“Thank you to the dedication of our teams across the hospital and everything you are doing to deliver exceptional care and support your colleagues.”

It comes as a further two patients died from the disease over the weekend, bringing the number of people to have died at the hospital to 86.

In an interview with David Powles, this newspaper’s editor, on the EDP Norfolk and Waveney Briefing podcast, Sam Higginson, the hospital’s chief executive, said: “It looks like London has seen the peak. I think that in terms of here, we’re on the plateau, so keeping up our PPE stocks is really important.

“It’s also vital people therefore stick with the government’s social distancing guidance. I think everyone has noticed a few more people out and about this weekend but it’s really important we keep going.

“Managing the pressure on the hospital and NHS is so important.”

To listen to the interview in full log onto https://www.podfollow.com/edp

The two deaths were among five new fatalities announced in the county’s hospitals on Monday, with the remaining three deaths confirmed at the James Paget University Hospital, in Gorleston.

In total 242 people being treated at the county’s main hospitals have now died since the start of the pandemic.

The total of number of people to have died at the JPUH has risen to 73, following the latest fatalities, of which two occurred on Saturday and one on Sunday.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn reported no new deaths, meaning the death toll remains at 83.

In England, a further 329 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 18,749.

Patients were aged between 29 and 100 years old. Of those 22, aged between 29 and 89 years old, had no known underlying health condition.

The Department of Health will release the national figures for the number of positive cases and confirmed deaths in the UK in due course.