EAST Suffolk and North Essex Trust was caring for 80 patients with coronavirus in hospital as of last Sunday, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital with Covid-19 by 8am on December 31 was up from 73 on the same day the previous week.

Across England there were 4,114 people in hospital with Covid as of December 31.

Nationally, the number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has increased by 71 per cent in the last four weeks.

The figures also show that 69 new patients with Covid were admitted to hospital in East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust in the week to December 29.