Covid cases on the rise again as two die in Luton in the past week

The latest figures from the UK coronavirus dashboard show a total of 798 people had died in the area by February 2 – up from 796 on the week before.

They were among 21,027 deaths recorded across the East of England.

Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust was caring for 51 patients with coronavirus in hospital as of Tuesday, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital with Covid-19 by 8am on February 15 was down from 55 on the same day the previous week.

But the number of beds at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 more than doubled in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 19.

Across England there were 7,209 people in hospital with Covid as of February 15, with 137 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

Nationally, the number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has increased by 14% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has decreased by 6%.

The figures also show that 68 new patients with Covid were admitted to hospital in Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the week to February 13. This was up from 66 in the previous seven days.

The weekly figures now include anyone whose death certificate – registered up to 14 days before February 16 (Thursday) – mentions Covid-19 as one of the causes.

A total of 182,131 deaths were recorded throughout England by February 2.