Covid: Hospital admissions in England highest for four months

Staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London
Staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London
Stefan Rousseau
Carl Bennett

By Carl Bennett


Published: 13/07/2021

- 18:03

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:07

Britain on Tuesday reported 50 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test, the highest level since April

The number of hospital admissions in England of people with Covid-19 has climbed to its highest level for four months.

Britain on Tuesday reported 50 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test, the highest level since April as the government prepares to remove almost all coronavirus restrictions in England from next week.


An additional 36,660 cases were registered, according to official data.

A total of 502 admissions were reported on July 11, NHS England figures show.

This is up 29% on the previous week, and is the highest number since March 6.

The total includes 127 admissions in north-east England and Yorkshire: up 25% week-on-week and the highest daily number for this part of England since March 3.

Average daily admissions for England are also at their highest for four months, with the total standing at 460 on July 11, the highest since March 12, according to PA news agency analysis.

This is still some way below the peak of the second wave, when average admissions hit a high of 3,812 on January 12.

But the figures reflect how the ongoing sharp rise in new cases of coronavirus is now causing a slow but steady rise in hospitalisations.

Speaking at the Downing Street press conference on Monday, the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said there was “no doubt” the country was in a third wave of the virus that would lead to an increase in the number of hospital admissions.

“If behaviour returns immediately to pre-pandemic levels, that will be a very, very big rise,” he said, referring to the easing of restrictions in England that will take place on July 19.

“If we go slowly and cautiously, it will be less of a rise.”

Responding to a question at the press conference about whether the Government would consider taking a step backwards if admissions reached a level that started placing pressure on the NHS, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: “There isn’t a cut-off point, but what we’re hoping is that if we proceed now then the peak will be significantly lower than the peak we saw in January, for example.

“But to think we’re not going to have pressure on the NHS is not realistic.”

The number of patients in hospital in England with Covid-19 stood at 2,970 on July 13, according to NHS England.

This is up 49% week-on-week, and is the highest number since the end of March.

At the peak of the second wave, hospital patients reached 34,336 on January 18.

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