THERE are no plans for a field hospital across Hampshire despite a surge in Coronavirus cases, it has been revealed.

Health bosses have confirmed there are no plans for a Nightingale Hospital “or a similar service” across the county.

But they said the temporary mortuary set up in Basingstoke last year remains in place.

The news comes as the country is under a third national lockdown as the number of Coronavirus cases surged.

Asked whether there are plans  for another temporary morgue in Hampshire, a spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: “As part of our area’s response to the pandemic, a temporary mortuary site has been established in Basingstoke. If required, this facility would serve the whole of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight region, including Southampton and Portsmouth.”

Hampshire residents have been urged to stay at home and “act as if they have got the virus”.

Speaking at the meeting of the Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee at Hampshire County Council this morning, Simon Bryant, the Hampshire director of public health, said the new variant of Covid is present across Hampshire.

He told members the Hampshire weekly rate of infection is 575x100,000 population - slightly lower than the rate for England  of about 600x100,000 people.

Dr Bryant described it as “a very concerning picture”.

He added: “Rates are all going up and we need to be very mindful of that. Lockdown should start to reverse that. We have to stay at home, we have to follow the advice.”

Rushmoor and Hart are the Hampshire areas most hit and Dr Bryant said that there are increasing cases across all age groups.

His warning comes as four new vaccination centres are going to be launched across Hampshire over the coming weeks.

But Dr Bryant said the vaccine “is not the answer yet”.

The news comes the Government said it “won’t rule out” tougher restrictions as UK records highest number of Covid patients in hospital since the start of the pandemic.

Figures released today confirmed that 32,294 people were currently being treated in hospital having contracted coronavirus.