Over the past week, 20 NHS Accident and Emergency departments in England issued diverts, with patients taken elsewhere.
Hospitals are under "enormous strain", with growing numbers so busy they are having to divert ambulances to other sites because they are unable to cope.
Current figures are close to the total seen in first Covid wave, in spring 2020 - although more than half of those patients are in hospital for other reasons, but happen to have Covid as well. Saffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: "We're very concerned about the real pressures across the whole health and care system.
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