The number of coronavirus cases in Suffolk’s hospital remains low despite concern over a second wave hitting the nation.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which operates Ipswich and Colchester Hospitals, currently has six confirmed cases across both sites, with further cases not yet confirmed.
At Ipswich Hospital, one person has tested positive for the virus, while a further three people are feared to have been infected and are currently awaiting test results.
In Colchester, there are five confirmed cases while eight people are suspected of having contracted the virus.
The trust has not reported a coronavirus death since July 31.
At West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, one person is currently receiving treatment for Covid-19, a spokesman confirmed.
A further eight patients are also suspected of having the deadly virus, the spokesman added.
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West Suffolk Hospital’s most recent coronavirus death was on September 17 when a man in his 80s, with underlying health conditions, died.
As of September 29, 357 people have died at ESNEFT hospitals, including the community hospital in Aldeburgh, after contracting Covid-19, while 83 have died at West Suffolk Hospital.
A further 25 deaths have occurred at the Fryatt Hospital in Harwich, while Beccles and Clacton hospitals have reported three and four deaths respectively.
Two people have also died under the care of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
As of September 24, 1,727 people are currently hospitalised nationally because of the virus and 262 of those are on ventilators.
Neill Moloney, Managing Director of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, said: “We define a suspected case as someone who comes into hospital with some of the symptoms of Covid-19 and while we wait for their test result we treat them on their own in designated, safe areas to protect staff and patients.”
Elsewhere, testing continues at a Bernard Matthews site in east Suffolk, where 18 people were confirmed to have tested positive for the virus earlier this week.
Social distancing measures have been tightened in the past week as the Government tries to get a grip on the current Covid spike, with pubs and restaurants now subject to a 10pm curfew.
The ‘rule of six’ remains in place meaning you cannot mix in groups of more than sic, unless you are from the same household, with children included in the number, meaning larger families with three or four children cannot see grandparents.
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