UNIVERSITY Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay Trust was caring for 159 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 January 18 was up from 146 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 more than tripled in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 46.

Across England there were 16,218 people in hospital with Covid as of January 18, with 614 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally more than doubled in the last four weeks, however the number on mechanical ventilators has decreased by 19 per cent.

The figures also show that 130 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust in the week to January 16. This was down from 159 in the previous seven days.