Hospitals told to clear beds for Covid spike in two weeks

HOSPITALS and councils have been told to find extra beds for coronavirus patients within two weeks as the NHS braces for a second spike in cases.

With a steep rise in infections, isolation units are being set up where Covid patients can recover, with ward space freed up for those who need more care.

More than 10 million people will soon be living in local lockdown areas after the North East became the latest region to impose curfews, with Liverpool and parts of the West Midlands expected to follow within days.

Chaos at testing centres continued yesterday, as Baroness Harding, the head of NHS Test and Trace, admitted that up to a million people a day were applying for just 230,000 available tests.

It also emerged that Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, is planning to adopt a national traffic-light system for putting regions into lockdown when infection rates reach a set level. A template for the “escalation framework”, seen by The Daily Telegraph, includes provision for “mandatory masks” at the amber level, suggesting face coverings will be legally required in even more settings than they are now.

The Telegraph understands that ministers will today confirm that family visits to care homes will be paused in areas where infections are highest. While the plans were still being finalised last night, they are expected to be included in the winter care plan.

Another 3,395 people tested positive for coronavirus yesterday, with a further 21 deaths. With cases reaching the highest levels since May, and the trajectory pointing towards a second peak in two weeks, hospitals are preparing for an influx of patients after admissions tripled in a fortnight. MPS in London were told last week of plans to increase the number of “step down” beds in the capital where coronavirus patients who no longer need hospital treatment can recover in isolation. One MP who was briefed on the plans during a call with health bosses said: “I was told hospitals have reserved beds for people coming out of hospital who need somewhere to recover.

“At the start of lockdown they were sending people back to care homes or back to other facilities, with dire consequences, so they’ve booked places in respite care or empty care homes, so people will go out of hospital, but won’t return to their normal place of living.”

A former minister said: “Everyone has learnt that you cannot discharge people into care homes if there is any danger whatsoever they might be Covid positive, so there is a big effort to find extra beds. Brent rented an entire care home … I think other places will be doing that as part of their efforts to get ready for a second spike.”

The isolation wards would be in addition to NHS Nightingale Hospitals, which provide extra capacity.

Channel 4 News said last night that care-home providers in Greater Manchester were being told they must accept Covid-positive patients from hospitals. A leaked contract from Trafford Council outlines how eligible care homes will receive patients within two hours of the hospital saying they are ready for discharge. It states that: “Some of these patients may have Covid-19.”

Sage scientists have “considered the case” for a two-week lockdown during the October half term, meaning pupils would only lose one week of lessons, according to the Financial Times.

Lockdown measures were imposed on Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upontyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham at midnight last night,

forcing pubs and restaurants to close at 10pm, and banning two households from mixing together. Almost two million people will be affected, bringing the nationwide total to around nine million, with a million more likely to join them if, as expected, Liverpool and parts of the West Midlands are added to the list.

It was reported last night that restrictions will be announced today for Lancashire, with the exception of Blackpool.

Senior Cabinet ministers were called to a meeting of the “XO” coronavirus operational subcommittee yesterday to discuss more local lockdowns.

In Liverpool, the rate has leapt from 67.5 cases per 100,000 people to 107.8 per 100,000 in the past week, a higher rate than many parts of the North East which are already in lockdown.

Last week, Mr Hancock and Baroness Harding attended a virtual “London Covid-19 summit” at which they discussed an “epidemic response escalation framework” that would give greater transparency to decisions on putting areas into lockdown.

Areas with infection rates at the lowest level would be subject to national