A county divided on new virus cases

The number of new coronavirus cases in Kent has fallen by 60% but infection rates in the east of the county are among the worst in England.

There were 1,257 positive tests in May - down from 3,115 the month before - bringing the total across Kent to 5,008 since the start of the pandemic.

At the same time, new cases in Medway fell 75% in a trend seen across the west of the county.

But in the east, infection rates are falling at a much slower pace, with two districts among the 10 worst in England.

Just Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria fairs worse than Ashford, which with 288 positive tests in May now has more confirmed cases than anywhere else in Kent.

Its infection rate - the number of people catching the virus in every 100,000 - stands at 625.8.

The county’s second worst, Thanet, sits ninth in England witharateof459.

Latest figures show almost 70% of new cases in Kent were concentrated in five districts in the east - Ashford, Thanet, Folkestone and Hythe, Dover and Canterbury.

It has sparked concerns the virus may be lingering in the region longer than in other parts of the country.

Ashford MP Damian Green has moved to calm any fears, pointing to reasons rates could be higher in his constituency and those surrounding it.

He wrote on his Facebook page: “There has been a lot of concern about the lists showing Ashford having one of the highest Covid infection rates in the country, though throughout the period Ashford has not suffered as many deaths as other districts in Kent.

“As you can imagine, I have been hunting hard for the reasons, and there were a variety of factors that came together in the early days of the lockdown.”

He blamed Ashford’s transport links to London and Europe, early outbreaks in care homes, and local NHS services being

“ahead of the game” when it came to testing, contributing to higher numbers.

He added: “Perhaps most importantly, the conversations I have had in the past 48 hours with the medical authorities have assured me that the infection rate in Ashford is coming down, in line with the rest of the country, which I hope is some reassurance.”

But Public Health England data shows this not to be the case.

Across the country, the rate at which people are contracting the virus fell by 71%, compared to 37% in Ashford.

Folkestone and Hythe fairs even worse, with a fall of just 26% - Kent’s lowest.

Most improved is Dartford, which saw a decrease of 81%.

But Mr Green is right about deaths - with six regions across the county recording more than Ashford since the pandemic began.

Most have been reported in Medway, with 164, followed by Thanet, with 124.

The number recorded across Kent and Medway fell for the sixth consecutive week up to May 22, when 66 people died, down from 93 in the seven days before.

However, in Canterbury the number doubled, from five to 10.

This paper asked the Kent and Medway CCG - which is co-ordinating the Covid-19 response across the region - why areas in the east of the county are experiencing more new cases and higher infection rates.

It declined to comment.