South Tyneside and Sunderland Trust cares for 131 Covid-19 patients in hospital

Orderlies push a bed at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry.

South Tyneside and Sunderland Trust was caring for 131 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on January 4 was up from 95 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased by 85% in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 71.

Across England there were 9,332 people in hospital with Covid as of January 4, with 212 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has increased by 70% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has increased by 78%.

The figures also show that 79 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust in the week to January 2. This was up from 65 in the previous seven days.