COVID hospital admissions have increased by nearly 80 per cent across hospitals run by the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), new figures have shown.

According to the most up-to-date official data, which was released by NHS England last Wednesday, the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 is currently at 267, significantly up from 149 which was the number recorded in ESNEFT hospitals the previous week.

Four weeks ago, only 20 beds were occupied by Covid-19 patients across ESNEFT hospitals.

Throughout England, the number of hospital patients is also on the rise - 10,608 people were in hospital with Covid-19 as of Wednesday, October 12, with 221 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The rise has seen the trust to continue to push for people to take up the booster jabs for the Covid vaccine, with more than 165,000 vaccines administered in Suffolk and north east Essex since the booster programme was launched.

Currently, fourth jabs are available for those over 50s and frontline care workers.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has more than doubled in the past four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has increased by 58 per cent.