Coronavirus infections are back on the rise in Reading as the Royal Berkshire Hospital has limited visits to patients to one person per day.

According to the latest figures, 188 people tested positive for coronavirus in Reading yesterday (Tuesday, March 29).

That same day, the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Craven Road announced that from now on, people in hospital can only have one visitor per day.

Any visits should be booked in advance with the ward clerk, and visitors must also take a Lateral Flow Test before going to the hospital.

READ MORE: Royal Berkshire Hospital restricts visitors to one per patient from TODAY as Covid cases rise

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has announced the measure due to an increase in the number of patients being admitted with Covid-19 in recent weeks.

It comes as infections are starting to rise in Reading following a dip at the start of the month.

Over 100 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded on every day since March 6, when 140 cases were recorded.

The day prior, on March 5, 88 cases were reported.

You can see how the number of Covid-19 cases have gone upwards in March in the table below:

The month of March saw the second anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, which began on March 23, 2020.

Free coronavirus tests for the general public will be coming to an end this week on Friday, April 1.

From then on, people will have to pay for tests, unless they fulfill the following criteria:

  • Patients in hospital, where a PCR test is required for their care and to provide access to treatments and to support ongoing clinical surveillance for new variants;
  • People who are eligible for community COVID-19 treatments because they are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19. People in this group will be contacted directly and sent lateral flow tests to keep at home for use if they have symptoms as well as being told how to reorder tests; and
  • People living or working in some high-risk settings, examples include NHS workers, staff in care homes, adult social care services and hospices, and staff in  prisons and detention centres where  infection needs to be identified quickly to minimise outbreaks.

The Government has stated that free universal testing cost the taxpayer an estimated £15.7 billion in 2021-22.

It has argued that, while universal testing was helpful, there is less of a need for it now a majority of the population is vaccinated.

READ MORE: Health professionals give update on battle against Covid-19 in Reading as some residents express 'vaccine hesitancy' 

According to Government statistics, 91.8 per cent of the population aged 12+ has had a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, 85.9 per cent have had a second dose and 67.4 per cent have received a booster.

In Reading, 74.8 per cent of people have had a first dose, 70.4 per cent have had a second dose, and 52.4 per cent have received a third dose.

These figures taken on Monday, March 28.