THE number of patients with Covid being treated at hospitals in Herefordshire appears to be rising again, latest figures show.

On December 21, the number of Covid patients at the Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs Hereford County Hospital, fell to a three-month low of 15.

And that number feel further to seven on Christmas Eve – the lowest since mid-August.

But since Christmas Eve, that number has risen to 15 as of Tuesday (December 28), suggesting a further rise could be on the way.

Visiting is still suspended at hospitals in the county, although rules were partially lifted on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The latest figures also showed that four new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Herefordshire in the week to Sunday, December 26.

The week before, that number was seven, and a fortnight before it was 15.

The figures, published on the Government website, showed there was one patient in a mechanical ventilation bed on Tuesday, which are used for the most seriously ill.

That was down from two the week before.

Meanwhile, Herefordshire's public health team has released more details about the patients being admitted to hospital with Covid.

It said local data showed that during the pandemic those aged 65 and over have accounted for 74 per cent of Covid-19 inpatients, although the proportions have changed over the pandemic.

"April and July 2020, when there were a total of 129 inpatients, all inpatients were aged 65+," the team said.

"October 2020 and March 2021 (664 inpatients) 80 per cent were 65+, 19 per cent were 18-64 and less than one per cent were under 18.

"Between April and July (22 inpatients) 16 per cent were 65+ and 72 per cent aged 18-64

"Since the beginning of August (317 inpatients) 63 per cent were 65+, 33 per cent were 18-64 four per cent were under 18."