Almost 200 people in Portsmouth are still being treated for coronavirus as latest wave peaks

In all, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust was caring for 189 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday, the latest figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on July 26 was down from 238 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 increased by 67 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 113.

Across England there were 12,113 people in hospital with Covid as of July 26, with 290 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has increased by 49 per cent in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has increased by 41 per cent.

The figures also show that 153 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust in the week to July 24. This was down from 209 in the previous seven days.

Elsewhere, Hampshire Hospitals Trust was caring for 155 coronavirus patients in hospital.

The news comes as figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) appeared to show the UK’s latest wave of Covid had peaked, with infections falling by more than half a million in a week.

The ONS estimates the number of people infected in the UK fell by 586,400 in the week ending July 20.