Driven by the new variant of the virus, the number of covert 19 patients in hospitals across the UK is also increasing sharply.

Our health editor, Hugh Pym, has the latest for us on the front line of a major London hospital.

Today.

Here it's, um, George's staff say it's exceptionally busy.

After a big increase in admissions of co vid patients over the weekend, they've been struck by the number requiring oxygen support on That's meant doubling capacity for oxygen supplies, which is no easy matter.

We have had several whole families admitted.

Quite a lot of those people haven't bean older, older people.

They haven't been people with lots of medical problems.

They have been young and fit, people who have been themselves shocked at how unwell they've gotten, how quickly they've become unwell.

Annabel's whole family was struck by the virus.

She and her mother, Maria, was struggling to breathe on were admitted to Leicester Royal Infirmary.

They were brought together in intensive care.

But less than 24 hours later, Maria died.

Yes, literally just told my family into tiny pieces.

Yeah, I understand.

Everyone's situation is different.

Onda we are are different points in our lives.

But just to take a moment to put yourself in my shoes and if that would make you perhaps rethink what you're gonna do that day, London hospitals are under extreme pressure and it's the same in other areas of southern England.

In the Southeast, Total Co vid patient numbers in hospitals are now well above where they were at the peak last April.

And it's a similar story in the east of England, with patient numbers rising rapidly in recent weeks.

The chief executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital said 40% of beds were occupied by co vid patients on stressed there was a problem affecting Mawr areas than just London.

Community leaders in Cumbria, meanwhile, warned that the situation was getting worse.

It's extremely serious.

The risk to the hospitals in the north is quite severe at the moment.

They have more coronavirus patients in the hospitals than than they have ever had in some parts of London virus cases is a proportion of the population has gone up 25% in a week.

That's why hospitals like this one are under increasing strain.

ONDA At a time when there are higher levels of staff sickness on those needing to self isolate, things could get even tougher in the weeks ahead.

Hugh Pym BBC News Hugh Pym is here.

We've been talking about the measures you, but it's worth reminding viewers at this point before these come into force.

Now, in many areas, what led to this?

The state of affairs that's led to this were you.

The U.

K's four chief medical officers have made it abundantly clear that without some sort of action, the NHS, in their own words in some parts of the country, would simply be overwhelmed in three weeks time.

Just looking at some of the figures that underlines that message in England.

We haven't had figures for other parts of the UK yet for today.

More than 26 a half 1000 people are in hospitals in England, with co vid 19 up 3000 in just three days on up nearly a third in a week.

Remember, these are people who first got the virus maybe two weeks ago on then, unfortunately for them have ended up seriously ill in hospital.

The current case increases were saying, seeing newly reported cases up by 50% week on week.

Some of them will become seriously ill, sadly, but that won't come through into hospitals for another couple of weeks.

That's the pressure already in the system on lockdowns will take a little time as well to take effect.

So hopefully as last year, March April lockdowns will bring down the case numbers.

But with this new variant, some experts are saying tonight we can't be totally sure how long that will take you once again, many thanks.