Chief concerned over the random nature of cases

Hinckley Central has had over 100 cases

THERE are now four areas in Leicestershire which have had more than 100 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.

Last week, County Hall public health experts released their latest analysis of new and recent Covid-19 cases across Leicestershire, excluding the city.

Since March, officials have been keeping a tally of virus cases which now shows, up to August 29, there have been 3,628 Covid-19 cases in all.

The new data also shows there have been more than 100 cases in four areas.

In Oadby North and East, which was part of the original Leicester Lockdown zone, there have been 168 cases.

Wigston Town and Thurmaston, also originally in the zone, have had 115 and 117 cases respectively.

Hinckley Central is the only other area where cases have exceeded 100 so far, with 106 recorded cases.

Oadby South and West has seen 92 cases to date and Birstall Wanlip and Riverside has had 90.

The county council’s director of public health Mike Sandys, pictured, said areas with higher numbers of cases tended to be the ones closer to the edge of Leicester, which suffered a local outbreak in June and still has lockdown restrictions on social gatherings in place despite falling infection rates recently.

He said: “In places such as Thurmaston, which have a proximity to the city, people tend to move between the two more for work and we think that accounts for higher numbers. You’re more likely to have social mixing, too.”

The weekly average incidence rate of infection across England is 12 cases per 100,000 people.

In Leicestershire, Oadby and Wigston’s rate is 36.8 cases per 100,000 and in Blaby it is 23.9 per 100,000.

Last week, Mr Sandys said that data in Oadby and Wigston showed new cases among holiday-makers returning from abroad, thought to be after some were “letting their guard down” with social distancing. He said: “I think we are still seeing that come through as a pattern, but we have identified that and I think we will start to see it come down.

“If there is one area that does worry me a bit, it’s Blaby and that is because there is no clear pattern.

“It seems to be isolated cases, one here, one there, and I can’t pin it on one thing.

“It seems most new cases tend to be among younger people in the 18 to 34 age bracket and it could be that they are forgetting the guidance to remain sociallydistanced when they are meeting friends.”

There were 37 new cases in Blaby in the two weeks between August 15 and August 29.

Mr Sandys said: “We can’t be complacent and we do need to keep an eye on the situation there and would just ask again that people remember the steps they need to take to protect themselves and others.

“That way we can keep things under control.”

The director of public health said there was at least a “good news story” to report in Melton, where no new cases had been found in the past seven days.

He said: “People will remember we had a bit of a spike there but what I hope we are seeing now is that the causes of that spike have passed through.”