East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust was caring for 45 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on July 27 was up from 40 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased by one in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 44.

Across England there were 5,163 people in hospital with Covid as of July 27, with 738 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally more than trebled in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators almost trebled, increasing by 185%.

The figures also show that 47 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust in the week to July 25. This was up from 28 in the previous seven days.