Some of the Kent and London hospitals face twice as many Covid-19 patients as they had in the spring.
There were a total of 15,465 Covid-19 patients in hospitals in England on Wednesday, up from 13,467 the week before.
During the first wave of the virus, this number peaked at 18,974 on April 12.
The NHS in Kent confirmed late Friday that it would end some planned treatments across the region “due to the increase in Covid patients being treated.”
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust had 221 Covid-19 patients on December 16, 120 more than they had at the first peak on April 8.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust was treating 357 people with coronavirus on Wednesday, nearly double the peak number they had at any time in the spring, when the numbers peaked at 187 on April 20.
An NHS spokesperson in Kent said on Friday: “We are working hard to ensure that we treat as many patients as possible, while ensuring that we provide a safe hospital environment.
Coronavirus in numbers: UK death toll at 66,541
“However, the increase in numbers has meant difficult decisions to prioritize more urgent cases.”
They promised that urgent treatments like cancer operations “will go ahead as normal.”
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Some 2,543 patients were registered in the capital on December 16, up from 1,787 a week ago.
The first wave peak in London was 5,201 patients on April 9.
Coronavirus hits the UK – in pictures
A deserted Westminster Bridge
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A man wearing a face mask or covering himself due to the COVID-19 pandemic walks past customers seated outside a restaurant
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Boris Johnson Addresses Nation On Coronavirus Lockdown
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Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London
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An empty escalator in London’s Charing Coss tube station
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Electronic panels display a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield
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A poster appears in the window of a student accommodation building after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste
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People participate in a ‘We do not consent’ rally in Trafalgar Square, organized by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo
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People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve of curfew at 10pm
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Hearts painted by a team of Upfest artists are seen on the Queen Square lawn, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bristol
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Graffiti says ‘good luck and stay safe’, as number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grows worldwide, under bridge in London
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A sign is displayed in Soho amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in London
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London
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Riot police clash with protesters who took part in a ‘We do not consent’ rally in Trafalgar Square, organized by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London
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A person walks past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester
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An image of the queen with quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in connection with the coronavirus epidemic is displayed in the lights of London’s Piccadilly Circus.
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Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101st Sustainment Brigade delivered a shipment of medical masks to St Thomas Hospital
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Durdle Door in Dorset
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Mia, 8, and Jack, 5, participate in “Physical Education with Joe”, a daily workout live with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help children stay in shape who have to stay home due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
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An NHS worker reacts at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS
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Goats that have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno
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Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters down while the restaurant is closed
London landscapes: Hyde Park and Serpentine, in central London.
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A newspaper vendor in Manchester city center gives away free toilet paper rolls with every paper purchased as stores sell out due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus.
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Theo Clay looks out the window next to his hand-drawn image of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues
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A young man cuts another man’s hair above a closed barber shop in Oxford
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General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London
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Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer on local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues.
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A woman with a face mask passes Buckingham Palace
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A man holds up a mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that there are new rules in place across the UK and that people should stay home
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Medical staff in the Covid-19 ward of Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson participating in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his team of ministers
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A shopper walks past the empty shelves of a Lidl store in Wallington. After a series of ‘panic buys’ cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning supplies, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special slots for seniors and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus.
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People on a busy London Underground train at rush hour
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Mia, 8, and her brother Jack, 5, from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to coronavirus
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Kids are painting ‘Chase the rainbows’ artwork and popping up in windows across the country
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Social distancing in Primrose Hill
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A general view of a closed gate at Anfield, Liverpool, as the Premier League has been suspended
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Homeless in London
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An artwork by the artist, known as Rebel Bear, appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. Glasgow’s newest addition to street art is capturing the global coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man who step back to kiss.
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The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic
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An overview of Gray Street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world
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Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-stricken Chinese city of Wuhan, is out of quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside
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British Medical Director Professor Chris Whitty (left) and Senior Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance watch as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures while speaking during a press conference on the coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) at 10 Downing Street.
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Ticket validation terminals at Edinburgh’s Princes Street tram stop are cleaned up after the coronavirus outbreak.
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Closed school doors at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
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A sign in a Sainsbury’s supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grows around the world.
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Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have prepared for vulnerable people in their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
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A poster advertising a book titled “How Will We Survive on Earth?”
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A man who appears to be homeless sleeping with a mask in Victoria today
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A pedestrian passes a graffiti that says ‘There are diseases in the city’ in Edinburgh
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London Lyric Theater staff briefing patrons as it closes its doors
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A quiet looking George IV bridge in Edinburgh
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A quieter British Museum than usual
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A runner attends Cheltenham with a fashionable face mask
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A traveler wears a face mask at London Bridge station.
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An empty restaurant in the Bull Ring shopping center
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A desert of Trafalgar Square in London
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Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick airport
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The Barts Health NHS Trust, which serves around 2.5 million people in East London, said on Thursday that it has moved into the “high pressure” phase of its winter escalation plan.
A spokesperson for Barts Health said: “We are treating large numbers of Covid-19 patients and in accordance with our winter escalation plan, we have moved into a ‘high pressure’ phase and are taking steps to keep safe our patients.
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“These include postponing some routine procedures in the coming days so that we can reassign staff and increase the number of general and critical care beds available.”
The trust, which operates out of four major hospitals The Royal London, St Bartholomew’s, Whipps Cross and Newham, said the plan will not affect cancer patients and that individuals will be contacted directly if their elective procedures need to be postponed.
Additional information from PA Media.
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