Somerset Trust was caring for 40 patients with coronavirus in hospital as of Wednesday, figures show.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital with Covid-19 by 8am on March 15 was down from 46 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 37.

Across England there were 8,434 people in hospital with Covid as of March 15, with 184 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

Nationally, the number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has increased by 17% in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has increased by 34%.

The figures also show that 46 new patients with Covid were admitted to hospital in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in the week to March 13. This was down from 49 in the previous seven days.