180 patients treated for Covid at North Tees and Hartlepool Trust hospitals

The data shows that the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on December 8 was up from 157 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased by 34.33% in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 134.

Across England there were 13,629 people in hospital with Covid as of December 8, with 1,118 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised has increased by 13%, while those on mechanical ventilators has increased by 11%, in the last four weeks across England.

The figures also show that 117 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust in the week to December 6. This was up from 83 in the previous seven days.

The North East has remained in Tier 3 – the toughest restrictions – since the national lockdown ended earlier this month.

The restrictions mean restaurants, bars and pubs must remain closed other than for collection and delivery and households must not mix indoors and in most outdoor settings.

Hartlepool has seen a decline in covid case rates overall since the second lockdown was imposed on November 5.

The Government will review the Tier system on Wednesday, December 16.

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