THERE were 18 coronavirus deaths announced at Worcestershire hospitals this week as the number of covid cases has risen.

NHS data reveals there has been 16 reported deaths at the trust sites - Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch - this week with its total reaching 1,031. 

Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust saw two further deaths with its total reaching 73.

In total there have been 1,104 deaths in county hospitals during the pandemic.

The 16 deaths in a week is one of the highest in weeks, and is back to the numbers when the Omicron wave first began.

Worcester News: WARD: A covid ward. Picture: PAWARD: A covid ward. Picture: PA

NHS data also shows there were 159 Covid patients in Worcestershire hospitals on April 14, up from 150 a week ago. 

The NHS figures show no one was in an ICU bed and fitted with a ventilator.

In comparison, on January 4, there were 53 people in county hospitals with Covid-19.

And on the same date two years ago, at the start of the pandemic, 122 Covid patients were in Worcestershire hospitals. 

Public Health England (PHE) figures show there were 2,825 cases in the county in the seven days up to April 9, a fall of 36.2 per cent on the previous week.

 

The PHE figures show:

 

  • Worcester saw a fall of 41.7 per cent to 430 cases.
  • Wychavon, which includes Evesham and Droitwich, saw a fall of 37.2 per cent to 657 cases.
  • Malvern Hills saw a fall of 36.7 per cent to 396 cases.
  • Redditch saw a fall of 36.1 per cent to 360 cases, while Bromsgrove saw a fall of 35.2 per cent to 463 recorded cases. 
  • Wyre Forest, which includes Kidderminster, saw a fall of 30 per cent to 519 cases. 

 

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The latest vaccination figures, up to April 7, reveal that 87.5 per cent of Worcestershire adults have had a first dose of a Covid vaccine, 83.8 per cent have had a second, while 69.7 per cent have had a booster.

Previously Simon Adams, the boss of patient watchdog Healthwatch Worcestershire, told us the rise in the number of patients was "very concerning".

"Some of the patients will be there for other reasons but have tested positive for Covid, but that still means they have to treated as if they are a Covid patient," Mr Adams said. 

"There are things we can do to reduce the pressures while there are very high levels of infection in the community.

"That is about using A&E properly, wearing a face-covering where appropriate."