South West sees Covid-19 surge as hospital admissions rocket to highest in country

There has been a surge in Covid-19 hospital admissions across the South West, latest figures show. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the region has seen a 250 per cent increase in admissions since the middle of September. Recent Government data shows that the South West has a current hospital admission rate for coronavirus of 16.67 per 100,000 people - the highest out of any region in the nation. This regional figure was 4.79 per 100,000 in September. The national average for hospital admissions is 10.83 per 100,000, according to data from the last seven days. This marks a 45 per cent increase from the previous week.