ALMOST 100 patients are now being treated for Covid-19 by our hospitals.

Mid and South Essex NHS Trust hospitals were caring for 93 coronavirus patients as of Tuesday, latest figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital was up slightly from 91 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 has increased by 82 per cent from 51 in the last four weeks.

Across England there were 6,244 people in hospital with Covid as of September 7, with 885 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has increased by 23 per cent in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators was up by 13 per cent.

The figures also show that 79 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in the week to September 5 – down from 84 in the previous seven days.

The East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, was caring for 55 coronavirus patients – up from 47 the previous week.