This is how many people in Wakefield have received hospital treatment for Covid-19

According to the latest NHS figures, 992 inpatients were diagnosed with the virus between March and September, and a further 43 people were admitted to hospital after testing positive in the same period.

Of these, a total of 672 patients had been discharged by the end of September hospitals run by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury Hospitals.

Covid-19 treatment at the trust has been centralised at Pinderfields Hospital since March.

The figures also show that the number of patients being treated for the virus rose sharply in September, alongside an increase in the number of new cases confirmed across the district.

At the start of the month, 10 or fewer hospital beds at the Trust were occupied by Covid-19 patients on each day. By September 30, this number had risen to more than 30.

A total of 913 new cases of the virus were confirmed in Wakefield in September. The total number of cases in the district now stands at more than 3,400, with a case rate of 149.9 per 100,000 people.

Wakefield Council has warned that tighter lockdown measures in the district "may soon be unavoidable" if the rate of cases continues to rise, just days after the district was declared an area of concern over its rising case rate.

Councillor Faith Heptinstall, Wakefield Council's Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, said: "We have seen a sharp increase in positive cases over the last week which has seen us added to the Government's watchlist as an 'area of concern'.

"It is crucial that everyone must act now and follow the important guidance in place. We all need to play our part to protect not only ourselves, but all of those around us, from this virus.

"If we don't, the harsh reality is that cases will continue to increase, there will be more hospital admissions and inevitably, and sadly, more lives lost.

"With such a serious increase in cases, tighter lockdown measures will soon be unavoidable unless we all continue to play our part. So I urge everyone to please remember the simple steps of hand washing regularly, wearing a face covering, maintaining social distancing and limiting our contact with those outside of our household."

A local testing service is available from Monday to Friday and bookings for appointments can be made at www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 01924 224497. Or email the person's name and contact details to [email protected] so the booking team can get in touch.

Anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms is urged to get a test by accessing local testing or by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119.