More than 9,000 people who have coronavirus are now being treated in hospitals across England.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens admitted the number is "only going to increase" in his latest update that confirmed a rise of at least 2,800 patients since Friday.

On a visit to the temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital being set up in London's ExCel centre, he tried to reassure the public that "mass mobilisation" to create more such buildings will increase the number of patients with coronavirus that can be treated.

A first glimpse inside NHS Nightingale

"This has been an extraordinary team effort on the part of nurses and doctors and therapists and pharmacists across London, but also volunteers and paramedics and people returning to help," he said on Monday.

"And when these services are needed, they will be available beginning later this week, and because this is a global health emergency we're actually seeing similar types of hospitals being established in Berlin and Madrid and New York."


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So far, 1,415 people in the UK have died who had coronavirus - a rise of 180 in the 24 hours up to 5pm on Sunday.

The country is entering its second week of lockdown, as the government urges people to stay at home to stop the virus spreading.

Image: Sir Simon said delivering PPE to hospitals was a 'huge logistics exercise'

'The situation will get worse before it gets better'

Sir Simon used his hospital visit to promise the number of COVID-19 tests for NHS staff will be doubled by the end of this week.

Around 800 samples were processed over the weekend.

The tests are being offered first to critical care nurses, A&E staff and ambulance personnel, he said, before being rolled out to "a much wider group of NHS staff over the coming days and weeks".

Sir Simon tried to assuage medics' concerns about a reported lack of personal protective equipment - such as masks and gloves to stop them getting ill when treating patients with coronavirus.

Police seek hospital hand sanitiser thief

He said the government is "pulling out all the stops" to deliver enough equipment to hospitals but cautioned it was a "huge logistics exercise".

"The army have been brilliant in helping," he added.