Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, who worked as a nurse on a general ward at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for five years, died on Sunday.

Her baby daughter was delivered successfully by caesarean section and is doing well, according to the hospital – although it is not clear whether she has also tested positive for the disease.

Now it has been claimed by a family member that the nurse’s father, Stephen, also lost his battle to the virus just weeks ago.

According to the nurse’s brother, Charles Agyapong, the situation was “very sad” and a “hard time” for the family.

The 28-year-old reportedly underwent an emergency cesarean to deliver and save her baby daughter.

It has not been confirmed whether the baby has tested positive for the virus.

Colleagues said the mum was a “fabulous nurse and a great example of what we stand for”.

The chief executive of the Trust sad the nurse was a “wonderful young woman who made a huge contribution”.

According to Channel 4, an internal email to staff told how the decision was made to perform an emergency cesarean after her condition deteriorated.

Doctors had previously thought her condition had been improving, but she worsened on Sunday.

The baby is described as a “beacon of light at this very dark time”.

At least 30 NHS workers have died while working on the frontline of the coronavirus fight.

Medics have been calling for more personal protection equipment – with reports of nurses sharing masks and gowns.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised to investigate every death of an NHS worker.

No10 insisted 22 million items were delivered to 268 organisations across the NHS on Easter Monday, including more than 2.5 million aprons.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “We have always acknowledged there have been some issues in terms of distribution but where that has occurred we have worked very hard to resolve them.”

Meanwhile, one researcher claimed the PPE crisis is the “21st century’s Dunkirk”.

University of Oxford Professor Trisha Greenhalgh is leading reviews of research on PPE.

Referring to the evacuation of Allied soldiers in the Second World War, she said: “As Covid-19 deaths escalate, the main story about PPE has become the lack of it.