Covid-19 infection rates remain low in the North East

CORONAVIRUS cases increased in three North East areas last week – but Sunderland, Newcastle and Gateshead saw significant drops.

The rolling seven-day rate of new Covid-19 cases for every local authority in the country has been released by Public Health England.

The figures, for the seven days to July 24, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent three days (July 25-27) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

Covid-19 infection rates remain low across the North East, with the highest now being in South Tyneside, which had 2.7 cases per 100,000 people. This was an increase of two from 0.7 the previous week.

Two other areas saw small increases – County Durham went from 1.9 to 2.1 cases per 100,000 people, while North Tyneside increased from 1.5 to 2.4.

Three local authorities in the North East saw a decline in the infection rate.

Newcastle and Gateshead, which previously had the joint highest rates in the region with four cases per 100,000 people, have now dropped to 0.7 and 1.5 respectively.

Sunderland also saw a decrease – from 2.9 to 0.4.

Northumberland’s rate remained the same over both weeks, at 1.9.

According to the latest statistics, the region’s rate of infection is low compared to some of the worst-hit areas of the country.

In Blackburn with Darwen, the rate has fallen from 83.9 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to July 17 to 75.2 in the seven days to July 24, with 112 new cases recorded.

Second on the list is Leicester, where the rate continues to fall and is now down from 82.5 to 61.9, with 220 new cases recorded.

In third place is Oldham, where the rate has jumped from 11.0 to 48.4, with 114 new cases recorded.

England and Wales are experiencing fewer deaths than would normally be expected for the fifth week in a row, as deaths involving coronavirus continue to fall.

For the first time since before lockdown, there were less than 300 deaths linked to Covid-19 registered over one week, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

There were 295 deaths involving Covid-19 in the week ending July 17 – the lowest number registered since the week ending March 20 and down almost a fifth from 366 deaths in the previous week.

While overall deaths in England and Wales remain below the five-year average for this time of year, there were 133 more deaths registered compared with the previous week.

There were 270 fewer deaths than the five-year average in the week ending July 17.

The number of deaths in care homes, hospitals and other communal establishments has remained below the five-year average.

However, there were 766 more deaths above what would normally be expected in private homes.

Some 51,366 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in England and Wales up to July 17, and had been registered by July 25.

Adding together equivalent figures on deaths registered in Scotland up to July 19 and in Northern Ireland up to July 22, this takes the UK total to 56,409 deaths, including suspected cases.