THE number of Covid patients being treated at York and Scarborough hospitals has risen suddenly.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said today it currently had 31 confirmed and suspected Covid inpatients, with two in intensive care.

This compares with 24 patients yesterday, with one in intensive care.

It said a total of 2,253 patients had now been discharged since the start of the pandemic.

Covid hospital patient numbers have been rising across the country, following soaring Covid infection levels, but numbers in York and Scarborough had remained relatively stable at around 24 for a week or two until yesterday.