UNIVERSITY Hospitals Sussex Trust was caring for 92 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on December 21 was down from 94 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased by 18% in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 78.

Across England there were 6,902 people in hospital with Covid as of December 21, with 757 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has increased by 10% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has decreased by 3%.

The figures also show that 77 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust in the week to December 19. This was down from 96 in the previous seven days.

The news comes as new Covid restrictions have come into force in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with curbs on the hospitality and leisure industry, limits on the size of gatherings and the reintroduction of social distancing rules.

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