THE number of patients admitted to hospital in Herefordshire with coronavirus has hit an eight-month high, new figures show.

NHS England data showed 20 people were being cared for in hospital by the Wye Valley NHS Trust on Tuesday (October 5).

That was up from 13 on the same day the previous week (September 28).

The latest figures also show that 30 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Herefordshire in the week to Tuesday – the highest number in a week since January.

The week before, 20 patients were admitted. The week ending January 31 was the last time the number of Covid admissions were more than 30.

Between December 20 and January 31, the NHS figures show more than 30 patients were admitted every week – peaking at 65 in the week ending January 17.

There were no beds occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 on May 18 – the day after the second easing of lockdown in England. 

From February 26 until August 30, there were not more than 16 Covid patients at the Wye Valley NHS on any one day.

But since the end of August, the number of patients has been consistently above 12, apart from on September 25 and 25.

The number of patients in mechanical ventilation beds, those used for the most seriously ill, had fallen to two on Tuesday (October 5).

That was down from four the same day the week before.