THE number of Covid patients being treated in Mid and South Essex NHS hospitals approached 100 this week as cases continued to rise.

The Mid and South Essex Trust was caring for 96 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday, latest figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 was up from 66 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 increased by 12 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 86.

Across England there were 6,099 people in hospital with Covid as of October 19, with 733 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has increased by 10 per cent in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has fallen by five per cent.

The figures also show that 71 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust in the week to October 17 – up from 66 in the previous seven days.

At the East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, there were 64 coronavirus patients – up from 39 on the same day the previous week.