More than 550 cases in the city and county
VIRUS NUMBERS RISING AGAIN AT WORRYING RATE ALL OVER
THERE are more than 550 current cases of coronavirus in Leicester and Leicestershire.
An NHS dashboard tracking the virus and number of cases shows that there are 297 current cases in the city and 256 cases across the county.
The data, relating to September 12 to 18, also shows the local seven-day infection rate is increasing.
In Leicester, there are 83.6 cases per 100,000 people.
To put this into context, at its the lowest point, in the week before August 28, it was down 23.6 cases per 100,000 people. When the local lockdown was announced at the end of June, the rate was 135 cases per 100,000 people.
While the city once topped the infection rates chart, it has now slipped down to 20th place nationally – but is approaching three times the national average.
Leicestershire – ie, the county areas beyond the city limits – which until recently had a rate that was below the national average, has started to move up the rankings, thanks in part to spikes in Oadby and Wigston and Blaby.
The county’s overall seven-day infection rate now stands at 31.6 cases per 100,000 people.
The latest national rate is 30.4 cases per 100,000 people.
Concerns over the rapid rise in cases being confirmed in Oadby and Wigston led to local lockdown measures being announced on Friday.
From now on, people living in the borough will not be able to mix with other households.
Neighbouring Blaby was added to the government’s watchlist as part of the same review.
On Monday, the country’s chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance, warned that there could be 50,000 cases a day nationally by mid-October, leading to 200 deaths a day a month after that, if the spread of the virus continues unchecked.
In a joint press briefing with the government’s chief medical adviser, Professor Chris Whitty, he said that cases were now doubling roughly every seven days.
■ The PM last night announced new measures in the fight against coronavirus - Page 12.