Royal Devon and Exeter Trust was caring for 79 patients with coronavirus in hospital as of Tuesday, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital with Covid-19 by 8am on February 15 was up from 70 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 more than doubled in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 35.

Across England there were 7,209 people in hospital with Covid as of February 15, with 137 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

Nationally, the number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has increased by 14% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has decreased by 6%.

The figures also show that 96 new patients with Covid were admitted to hospital in Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust in the week to February 13. This was up from 78 in the previous seven days.