Number of Doncaster Covid hospital patients doubles in a week as cases shoot up

In its weekly update on the town’s Covid-19 situation, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it was currently caring for 20 people with the virus.

Last week, it had ten patients in its care.

A spokesman said: “At present there are 20 patients with us who have tested positive for COVID-19.

"Throughout the past few weeks there has been a steady and consistent rise in the amount of coronavirus circulating amongst our communities.

"As such, although restrictions will ease from 19 July, in our hospitals, like all others, we will continue to politely ask visitors and patients to wear an appropriate face covering, as well as adhere to current measures which are designed to keep the most vulnerable staying with us safe.”

Last week, the Trust said that all those being treated were unvaccinated and urged everyone to get the jab.

In the last few weeks, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had reported several weeks with zero patients being treated for Covid-19.

It comes after Professor Chris Whitty announced that the UK is ‘not out of the woods yet’ and has urged people to act with caution as Covid restrictions end on Monday.

The chief medical adviser warned that hospital admissions were doubling every three weeks and could hit "scary numbers" if the trend continues.

Prof Whitty said the pandemic still had a "long way to run in the UK".

It comes as the UK recorded nearly 50,000 new cases on Thursday - the highest daily number since January.

Prof Whitty told an online seminar hosted by the Science Museum on Thursday evening: "I don't think we should underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast."

He added: "We are not by any means out of the woods yet on this, we are in much better shape due to the vaccine programme, and drugs and a variety of other things.

"But this has got a long way to run in the UK, and it's got even further to run globally."