Two Isle of Wight hospital patients with Covid-19 have been transferred to hospital on the mainland, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust's medical director has confirmed.
Dr Stephen Parker was speaking in a Facebook Live interview with the County Press's Lucy Morgan, alongside Director of Public Health for the Isle of Wight, Simon Bryant.
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Dr Parker told the County Press in a Facebook Live interview: "We were seeing an increasing number of cases. Prior to Christmas we expanded our critical care facilities.
"We were over spilling into areas outside of critical care. We were looking at moving patients into operating theatres and theatre recovery, where they would have got exactly the same level of care that they would have got in a critical care unit.
"But small hospital on a Island. Finite capacity.
"We knew, when we reached a certain number, we were in danger of being overwhelmed and over the weekend we did transfer two patients by air ambulance into Southampton."
Dr Parker also told us that St Mary's Hospital is 'challenged' but 'coping'.
Although daily cases are on a downward trend, deaths and hospitalisations lag behind and we are warned to stay at home and continue to follow the #HandsFaceSpace and ventilate advice.
Today, more deaths in hospital were announced.
Meanwhile, although more cases have been added to the Isle of Wight's total, the numbers are showing a downward trend.
Watch Director of Public Health Simon Bryant and Isle of Wight NHS Trust Medical Director Stephen Parker answering your questions on Ask:Live, broadcast earlier on Facebook Live.
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