MORE than 300 people are currently being treated for Covid-19 in Hampshire hospitals, it has been revealed.

About 350 patients are currently being treated for coronavirus in hospitals across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight while about 16 patients are on ventilators.

Health bosses said hospitals across the county are “coping” with an increase in cases but residents have been urged to continue to follow the rules as the number of Covid-19 cases across the county is on the rise.

The news comes as members of the Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee at Hampshire County Council were given an update during a virtual meeting held this morning.

Talking to members Dr Andrew Bishop said: “We have between three to 4,000 hospital beds in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and at the moment there’s about 350 patients in these beds who are suffering with Covid and we have about 150 intensive care beds and the number of patients on ventilators due to Covid is about 15 or 16 at the moment.”

He said that hospitals are coping with the increase in Covid cases.

But he added: “If all we had to do was Covid we would be well within our capacity but it would be misleading to suggest that it is not on the increase and that is a significant increase from this time last month.

"The issue is that that is not the only thing going on in our hospital. Our hospitals are now experiencing the pressure that we usually see at this time of the year.”

Members were told that the total number of positive cases in Hampshire is now 12,426.

A total of 1,737 cases was recorded over the past seven days and the weekly rate for Hampshire is now 125.6×100,000 while England weekly rate is 243×100,000.

Simon Bryant, director of public health at the county council, stressed the need for residents to continue to comply with the rules.

He said: “The figures are going up. We are not in the place of the north west of England but it is still concerning.”

Members were also shown a graph revealing that the highest weekly rate until November 4 was recorded in Portsmouth (206.6 x 1000), followed by Southampton (175×100,000) and Havant (162.4×100,000).

The news comes as lockdown restrictions are to remain in place until December 2.