Hospitals across south and mid Essex are caring for more than 100 Covid patients, latest figures have revealed. 

Mid and South Essex Trust, which runs Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals, was caring for 116 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on October 26 was up from 96 on the same day the previous week.

It means there were 20 more patients being treated. 

The number of beds at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased by 84 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 63.

Across England there were 6,883 people in hospital with Covid as of October 26, with 803 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has increased by 34% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has increased by 18%.

The figures also show that 99 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in the week to October 24.

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This was up from 71 in the previous seven days.

As of Tuesday ten patients were in ventilator beds. 

Covid cases across south Essex are also rising. 

In the seven days to October 23 there were 769 new cases in Southend - a rise of 111 cases on the week before. 

Castle Point saw 109 new cases wirth 502 recorded in a week. 

Basildon recorded 937 cases up 155 on the week before and Rochford saw 569 new cases, a rise of 123 cases.