Almost 200 people in Portsmouth are in hospital with coronavirus as Covid-19 rates begin to soar

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is caring for 179 coronavirus patients as of Tuesday, up from 113 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 more than doubled in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 81.

Across England there were 11,049 people in hospital with Covid as of July 5, with 229 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has more than doubled in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has increased by 97 per cent.

The figures also show that 186 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust in the week to July 3. This was up from 126 in the previous seven days.