Hospitals in north and west Cumbria have not yet seen a large rise in coronavirus admissions say health chiefs.

The surprising news comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said more people are in hospital now across the UK than at the start of the pandemic.

Scientists say a flood of Covid-19 admissions across the country is putting mounting pressure on health services.

According to the latest NHS situational report, published October 9, which details reported admissions to hospital and diagnosis in hospital, from September 30 to October 6, the North Cumbria Intregrated NHS Foundation Trust had eight admissions, out of 1,015 in the north west as a whole.

In comparison, the University Hospital of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which deals with cases in the south of the county, had 38.

Another comparison in the north west shows the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust to have 79.

The North Cumbria Intregrated NHS Foundation Trust runs a number of hospitals including the Cumberland Infirmary, in Carlisle, and West Cumberland Hospital, in Whitehaven.

Colin Cox, Cumbria’s director of public health, had previously said: “Most of Cumbria is still behind other areas of the region in terms of the covid-19 infection rate but the picture is changing rapidly and all areas are clearly heading in the wrong direction.”

A spokeswoman for the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has said: “There has not yet been the large increase in hospital cases for north Cumbria”.

Public Health England figures, released Monday, has shown the reported infection rate increasing with 72 cases reported, over the previous 24 hours, compared to 66 cases reported for the same period on Sunday.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed a new three-tier system of local lockdown measures will be introduced from today.

Speaking at the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Johnson said: “There are now more people in hospital with Covid-9 than when we went into lockdown on March 23, and deaths are already rising.

“I do not believe [a second lockdown] would be the right course. We would deprive our children of their education, we would erode our ability to fund the NHS.”