75 coronavirus patients treated in Shropshire hospitals amid national increase

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust was caring for 75 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Wednesday December 28, figures show.

The figure is down from 85 on the same day the previous week.

Four weeks ago, 60 beds were occupied by Covid-19 patients in Shrewsbury and Telford.

In the previous four weeks, the number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has increased by 91 per cent and number of those on ventilators has increased by 63 per cent.

Since Covid-19 reached the UK in early 2020, more than 500 million tests have been reported, more than 90 per cent of people aged 12 years and over have received at least two vaccinations, and more than 150,000 people have died.

Vaccines have effectively reduced the impact of infections on hospitalisations and deaths, but emerging variants have been much more transmissible.

The hospital admission rate and number of deaths involving Covid-19 are lower now than earlier in the pandemic, despite similar, or higher, infection levels.