THE rising number of coronavirus patients in hospital beds in Dorset has reached 113, latest figures show.

According to statistics released by Public Health Dorset an additional 28 patients are currently in hospital beds being treated for Covid-19 across the county.

Public health bosses say numbers of Covid patients in hospital in Dorset has been rising for the past few weeks.

The 113 figure, for the week leading up to November 4, is in stark comparison to the 85 Covid patients in hospital beds for the week leading up to October 27.

Meanwhile, new positive Covid-19 cases recorded in the BCP Council area, between October 25-31, stand at 816 – the biggest weekly increase since the second wave started.

The equivalent numbers of positive cases in the Dorset Council area over the same week-long period is 390, which is actually lower than the 414 recorded for that authority area the previous week.

A Public Health Dorset spokesman said: "Our case rates remain high, particularly in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, so we need everyone to follow the rules during lockdown to bring these case rates down so we can return to fewer restrictions."

Current advice is for Dorset residents to stay at home as much as possible, only leaving for essential reasons such as exercise, food shopping and healthcare.

Figures for cases per 100,000 of the population in the BCP Council and Dorset Council areas are currently 206.4 and 103 respectively.

The Public Health Dorset spokesman said: "We are continuing to see positive cases in a number of care homes identified through routine whole care home testing.

"These are monitored closely working with partners in adult social care, NHS Dorset CCG and the care homes themselves to ensure all necessary measures are being taken.

"Due to increased transmission within our communities we are advising extra caution to be taken when visiting care homes."

And while schools and universities remain open during the new national lockdown, county public health bosses say "well-established processes" are in place to deal with the "continued cases" of positive Covid-19 cases associated with both types of establishment.