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Liverpool’s coronavirus inpatients ‘to surpass first peak within seven to 10 days’

A woman wearing a protective face covering walks through Liverpool city centre, after the government imposed fresh restrictions on the city: AFP via Getty Images
A woman wearing a protective face covering walks through Liverpool city centre, after the government imposed fresh restrictions on the city: AFP via Getty Images

Liverpool health officials expect to see the number of coronavirus patients in the city's hospitals surpass the levels of the first peak in the next seven to 10 days.

There were around 277 confirmed cases currently in hospital as of Monday, compared to around 400 during the pandemic’s first peak.

Around half of the intensive care beds across the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are currently occupied by those being treated for the virus.

"We're expecting to see rates of inpatients continue to rise and probably surpass the levels in March or April within the next seven to 10 days,” said councillor Paul Brant, Liverpool City Council cabinet member for adult health and social care.

"There were 277 inpatients with Covid diagnosis yesterday, about 96 or so are awaiting tests. I think the previous peak was about 400 or so."

He added: "What will happen is they will stop the elective surgery, stop diagnostic procedures and stop screening services in order to free up beds that would otherwise be used for that activity, to ensure that any sort of surge capacity in relation to Covid is accommodated.”

His warning came as the city braced for new coronavirus restrictions under the government’s new three-tier system that was unveiled on Monday.

Different parts of the country are being split up into "medium", "high" or "very high" local coronavirus alert areas.

pubs, bars and casinos will be closed in the third tier, with household mixing and travel also seeing curbs.

Liverpool’s city reign is to be placed in tier three - on “very high” alert.

As there is not a temporary Nightingale hospital in the area, Mr Brant said wards in the half-built new Royal Liverpool Hospital were utilised as overfill capacity for patients during the first wave.

On Monday, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Steve Warburton told staff in a memo that it had reached a "critical point".

He said the trust was scaling back planned procedures, adding it was "taking a phased approach to reducing our elective programme, while exploring options with other providers to maintain some of this work in alternative locations".

He added: "We will continue to prioritise surgery based on clinical need, with a view to maintaining urgent and cancer surgery where possible.

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