Covid admissions are spiking in four fifths of hospitals across England and have reached their highest level in four months, official data has shown as the third wave starts to pile pressure on the NHS.
MailOnline's analysis of latest official figures show the number of coronavirus patients staying overnight in hospital beds increased 36 per cent to 3,068 in the week ending July 20.
This was the highest number since March 1 when 704 Covid patients were in hospital.
In the worst affected trusts, the number of inpatients has nearly quadrupled in the most recent week.
North East Anglia NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridge saw its number of patients increase from six to 23 in a week.
For comparison, just 17 of the 126 hospitals in England that can treat Covid saw their bed usage drop.
But hospitals are yet to become overwhelmed with Covid patients. Only three trusts had 10 per cent or more of their beds filled with patients with the virus.
Hospitals in Kent saw nearly 45 per cent of all beds occupied by Covid-infected Brits during the darkest days of the second wave in January.
The worrying figures come as the UK recorded it first fall in cases in two months, dropping 17.8 per cent in a week to 39,906.
But experts warned infection levels are yet to reflect changes caused by the easing of restrictions on 'Freedom Day' at the start of the week and further surges in cases are expected.
Covid admissions across the UK are continuing to rise, with 788 recorded on July 18, an increase of 35 per cent on the previous week. Hospitalisations appear to be doubling every three weeks.
Covid admissions are spiking in four fifths of hospitals across England, official NHS data has shown as the third wave continues to pile on pressure on the NHS
MailOnline's analysis of NHS England data today shows that, technically, the largest increase in Covid bed occupancy was in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, which was treating six patients on July 20 compared to none the week before.
Of trusts with more than ten Covid patients, Northampton General Hospital had the second biggest jump, seeing patients increase from seven to 26 in a week.
It was followed by Chesterfield Royal Hospital, which saw a rise of 233 per cent, Royal Berkshire (200 per cent) and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (200 per cent) in Kent.
Regionally, the East of England saw
