TROOPS are set to be called in across Essex to help create extra hospital capacity in order to cope with the county's spiralling coronavirus infection rate.

It was announced today the Essex Resilience Forum (ERF) had declared a "major incident" due to the rising numbers of Covid-19 patients in the Essex, which have now passed the numbers seen in the first peak in the spring.

The move means the group can call for further support from the Government and it has been revealed the Army is set to be called in to help with the situation across the county.

Sir Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and North Essex, addressed Health Secretary Matt Hancock in Parliament this afternoon and asked for his support.

He said: "I can confirm to my right honourable friend that Essex has declared a major incident and can I also inform him that at this very moment they are submitting a request as a civil authority, a MACA request [Military Aid to Civil Authorities], to assist with the construction of community hospitals, additional hospital capacity to be supported by the armed forces and partly staffed by the armed forces.

"They would also like armed forces help with the roll out of the vaccine to accelerate that in Essex and to assist with testing schools."

Mr Hancock said he would "look favourably" upon any requests for military assistance in conjunction with the Defence Secretary.

He said: "What he says about the pressures in Essex is very significant and it is important.

"I will look favourably with any requests for military assistance working closely with my right honourable friend the Defence Secretary, who has been incredibly supportive as have the whole armed forces during this whole year.

"They have done so much, they are already involved in the roll out of testing as my right honourable friend knows and we draw on the ingenuity, reserve and manpower of the forces whenever we need them."

The ERF, which consists of the NHS, blue light responders and local authorities, says pressures are being felt primarily in NHS and local authority services and are associated with critical care and bed capacity, staff sickness or self-isolation levels and the system’s ability to discharge patients quickly into safe environments.

The ERF is predicting these patient levels will increase further in the coming days and is even looking at sending patients out of county to hospitals where there is further capacity.

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