The number of coronavirus patients being treated in hospital reached 907 on Monday, the highest level since last October, hospital patient monitoring body LCPS said.

The total number of patients rose by 139 over the weekend. The number of intensive care patients, which had been relatively stable, has now risen from 20 to 48 in the past two weeks.

A month ago, around 300 people were being treated in hospital, and the LCPS expects the total to hit over 1,000 in the coming period.

Two weeks ago the government’s advisory Outbreak Management Team said coronavirus should now be downgraded to endemic status and that the recommendation to test for symptoms and stay home if positive should be scrapped.

The government has not yet said if it will adopt the OMT’s suggestions. The agency has also recommended closing the regional testing centres and scaling back vaccination.

Research suggests 98% of the population now have some level of immunity, either through infection or vaccination.