'Keep the numbers low:' Hospital plea as Doncaster hospital's Covid count drops to five

Despite an increase in cases over the weekend, bosses at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust say they have not confirmed any more additional cases for more than two days.

But health chiefs have urged people to ‘keep numbers low’ by following Government guidelines.

A spokesman said: “While over the weekend we saw a slight increase in Covid-19 patients receiving care from three to eight, we have not confirmed any additional cases for more than 48 hours, and we safely discharged one individual earlier today.

"This means that at the time of writing there are five people receiving Covid-related care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, and just one at Bassetlaw Hospital.

"Please continue doing what you're doing to keep these numbers low - wear a mask when appropriate, adhere to social distancing and, most importantly, wash your hands regularly.”

Meanwhile, a turf cutting ceremony to mark the start of the works on a memorial for the region’s coronavirus victims took place yesterday.

There will be two Rainbow Gardens – at Bassetlaw Hospital and Doncaster Royal Infirmary - in memory of those who have lost their lives to Covid-19 including Trust employees Kevin Smith and Dr Medhat Atalla.

Diane, Kevin's wife, and Dr Rekha Ramanath, friend and colleague of Dr Atalla, attended the event alongside local businesses who have supported the appeal.

The gardens will be quiet places where relatives can go to remember loved ones lost in the pandemic.