SEVEN coronavirus patients are being cared for in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust hospitals, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on July 13 was up from four on the same day the previous week.

There were no beds occupied by Covid-19 patients four weeks ago in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

And the number of Covid-19 cases in Sedgemoor has increased by 53 in the last 24 hours.

The rate of infection in Sedgemoor now stands at 5,041 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 8,245.

Across England there were 2,970 people in hospital with Covid as of July 13, with 470 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally nearly trebled in the last four weeks, and the number on mechanical ventilators has increased by 151%.

The figures also show that eight new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in the week to July 11.

This was down from nine in the previous seven days.