North Tees and Hartlepool hospitals reintroduce mask rules amid Covid-19 rise

Staff and visitors at three hospitals are being asked to wear masks again

Visitors and staff at three hospitals are being asked to wear masks again amid a rise in Covid-19 cases.

The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said it made the "difficult decision" due to increasing rates of coronavirus on wards.

Single-use masks will be available for free at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, University Hospital of Hartlepool and Peterlee Community Hospital.

Patients are not asked to wear masks.

But they can wear them if they wish, a trust spokesman said.

'Not as poorly'

Across England for the week to 15 October there were 54,914 Covid-19 cases, down 12.3% on the week before. Sixty-eight of those were in Hartlepool, government figures show.

Chief nurse Lindsey Robertson said: "Sadly, we are seeing increasing numbers of Covid-19 on our wards.

"Thankfully the patients are not as poorly as we were treating when the pandemic was at its height.

"It's manageable but we are asking for all visitors to help us by wearing a mask when they come to see their loved ones in hospital."

She also appealed for people to take up Covid-19 and flu vaccines when offered.