The number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in Greater Manchester has almost doubled in the space of a week. There were 251 Covid-related hospital admissions in the week ending June 12, compared to 133 the week before - an increase of 89pc.
A graph produced by the Manchester Evening News highlights the worrying upward trend and marks the first significant increase to hospitalisations since March. However, patient numbers remain far below the rate of hospitalisations seen in previous waves.
The sharp rise follows the emergence of Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, which were designated as variants of concern in the UK on May 20. The two mutations, first detected in Africa in January and February, have been cited by the ONS (Office for National Statistics) as a likely cause for rising infection rates throughout the UK.
