Coronavirus latest at Chesterfield Royal Hospital – as health chiefs move to reassure residents amid national fears about rising hospitalisations

On Monday, it emerged Derbyshire recorded the most Covid-19 cases it has ever clocked in a single week.

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Until recently, the highest number of cases recorded in Derbyshire in a single week was more than 5,100 back in early January.

Now the Delta variant has pushed Derbyshire to new heights, clocking more than 5,500 cases in the most recent week of data – to July 16 – with the increase feared to continue.

At around 5pm on Wednesday, there were 10 coronavirus patients at Chesterfield Royal Hospital – two of whom were in critical care.

At one point in early January, the Royal was looking after 115 Covid-19 patients – 16 of whom required critical care.

The hospital has recorded a total of 444 deaths linked to the disease.

Before the easing of coronavirus restrictions on Monday, England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned that coronavirus hospitalisations were doubling every three weeks and could hit ‘scary numbers’ in future.

Prof Whitty said the pandemic still had a ‘long way to run in the UK’.

A spokesperson for Joined Up Care Derbyshire, the local health and care partnership, said: “We continue to have robust processes in place to escalate our plans for the care of Covid-19 patients, for both critical care and our inpatient wards, if and when we need to in the same way as we managed previous waves.

“This includes increasing or reducing the beds available to Covid and non-Covid patients as and when the demand is there.

“This remains a high priority, alongside continuing to restore and recover other vital services, especially for patients who need urgent surgery and cancer care.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people to be ‘cautious’ now restrictions have been axed.

He said: “We've got to remember that this virus is sadly still out there.

“Cases are rising – we can see the extreme contagiousness of the Delta variant."

Meanwhile, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said 90 per cent of the most vulnerable had been vaccinated and it was right for people to take ‘personal and corporate responsibility’ over measures such as wearing face coverings.

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