A Department of Health and Social Care minister has warned that new Covid measures could be introduced if the NHS backlog is threatened.

Currently, more than 13,000 hospital beds are being used by Covid-positive patients, which is up from 10,658 the week before.

During a House of Lords debate, Lord Kamal, parliamentary under-secretary of state for innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care, said if the situation ”gets to a point where it is affecting the backlog then clearly measures may well have to be introduced”.

Staff absence is a major issues with soaring infections rates in the community, with hospitals reintroducing masks to try to curb this problem.

Speaking to The Independent, Senior NHS staff have said that hospitals were having to close and cancel planned surgeries due to staff absences.