THE number of patients with Covid being treated at hospital in Herefordshire has risen again, a week after it hit an eight-month high.

With visiting suspended due to rising Covid cases on wards and in the communuty, according to the Wye Valley NHS Trust, the latest number of patients with the virus has been revealed.

NHS England data showed 34 patients were being cared for in hospital by the Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs Hereford County Hospital, on Tuesday (November 2).

That was eight more than the same day the previous week (October 26).

With a few exceptions, tighter visiting restrictions came into force yesterday (Wednesday) at all of the trust's hospitals.

It was to help "protect patients by reducing the risk of someone bringing Covid onto the wards", a spokesperson said.

Chief nursing officer Lucy Flanagan said: "This has been a difficult decision to make as we know the benefits visitors can make to the recovery of our patients, but with the increased spread of the virus in the community and cases on our wards, we've decided to temporarily suspend visiting on safety grounds with a few exceptions."

Exemptions were said to include compassionate grounds, stroke patients and out-patient areas.

There would also be no changes visiting restrictions on the children's ward, special care baby unit and in maternity.

The latest figures also showed that 28 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Herefordshire in the week to Sunday, October 31.

The week before, that number was 21.

Over the last week, the total number of Covid patients in hospital at the trust peaked at 25 on November 1.

That was the highest number since February 5, when there were 36 Covid patients