One of Norfolk’s hospitals has admitted its first coronavirus patients in two months, NHS data has revealed, although the numbers still remain very low.

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The James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) admitted one Covid-19 patient on August 30, and a second on August 31.

NHS data published until last Thursday revealed both patients remained in hospital in Great Yarmouth until September 3.

It comes as the government clamped down on restrictions on social contact due to warnings of a spike of the number of cases among young people aged 17-29.

New rules mean meeting in groups of more than six indoors or outdoors will be illegal from Monday, September 14.

The rise in cases has not yet seen a corresponding rise in hospitalisations or deaths.

READ MORE: Norfolk hospitals go more than a month without new coronavirus deaths

Both the Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital (NNUH) and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) currently have no Covid-19 patients on their wards.

The NNUH recorded one patient with coronavirus on August 6 and two on July 8 - but other than that has been Covid free since June 30.

And the QEH has had no Covid-19 patients since July 18.

The hospitals figures for non-coronavirus admissions, as of September 3, are:

• The NNUH - 809 patients,

• The JPUH - 406 patients,

• And the QEH - 232.

READ MORE: Norfolk hospital preparing for second coronavirus wave in late September, meeting hears

There are also no Covid-19 patients on mechanical ventilators at any of the county’s three acute hospitals - while at the peak of the virus there were 12 coronavirus patients ventilated at both the NNUH and the QEH on April 15.

There were also 61 coronavirus related staff absences at the NNUH on September 2, compared to 999 on April 14 at the peak of the pandemic in the spring.

While at the JPUH there were 19 Covid-19 absences on September 2, versus 575 on April 7.

And at the QEH the September 2 figure was 24, while at the height of infections there were 182 staff sick or self-isolating on May 17.

Last month, bosses at the NNUH revealed they were preparing for a second wave of the virus to kick in at the beginning of autumn.

Chris Cobb, chief operating officer, told the board of trustees preparations, including possible additional tests would give them an advantage in identifying the virus in colder months.

He told the meeting: “It’s fair to say we are absolutely planning for a second wave to kick in around about the end of September, beginning of October.”

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