NHS Nightingale hospitals in some worst affected regions in the North of England have been told by the government to get ready to start taking COVID-19 patients.

Government advisers said during a press conference this morning that admissions are rising rapidly.

During the live press conference, it was announced that more people are now in hospital with COVID than before restrictions were announced back in March.

England’s deputy chief medical officer said a “marked pick-up” in cases would lead inevitably lead to more deaths.

Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said: 

“Already, with the cases that we know about, we have baked in additional hospital admissions and sadly we also have baked in additional deaths that are now consequent upon infections that have already happened.”

Cases are rapidly rising across most of England, with the North West being the worst affected.