The number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 is continuing to fall across Suffolk and north Essex, as the harsh lockdown continues to combat cases.
From March 1 to 7, there were 67 people admitted to hospitals in Suffolk and north Essex with coronavirus — 62 of those at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals and five at West Suffolk Hospital.
East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs Ipswich and Colchester hospitals, recorded 92 admissions the week before between February 22 and 28. West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust recorded six.
As of March 9, there were 54 beds occupied by Covid-19 patients at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals.
In West Suffolk, there are currently nine patients with Covid occupying hospital beds.
MPs for the region say the reduction in hospital admissions hopefully shows that the vaccination programme is doing its job and saving the most vulnerable from needing treatment.
Dr Dan Poulter, MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, said: "It's great news infections have consistently fallen over the past weeks and are now manifesting in a significant drop in hospital admissions.
"I am very hopeful with the vaccine roll out being so successful we are now entering the final phase of the fight against the virus.
"Evidence seems to suggest even one dose of the vaccine conveys a significant degree of protection — however we must still be mindful of new variants which the vaccine may be less effective in protecting us against."
Ipswich MP Tom Hunt said: "With so many people now vaccinated who may have been more liable to end up in hospital we are seeing that reduction in admissions in line with the national figures.
"The key for me is hospitalisation and the number of deaths from coronavirus as the thing the vaccine is designed to tackle.
"We know there is increasingly more evidence to show the vaccine programme is playing a role in cutting coronavirus transmission in our communities."
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