Rates ‘on the run’ as infections fall by almost half in past week

PUBLIC health officials say coronavirus rates are “on the run”, having fallen by nearly 50 per cent in the past week.

The entire county was set to move into the strictest Tier 3 restrictions from today, when the national lockdown ended.

Leicestershire’s director of public health, Mike Sandys, pictured, said the national lockdown measures had impacted on the spread of the virus.

“The first two weeks of (the national) lockdown were not a success from a Leicestershire point of view but over the past week or so they have dropped significantly.

“They are down 43 per cent in the past seven days and that compares to the national drop of 30 per cent.

“It has come down faster and further than the rest of the country,” he said.

The government has promised to review the tiers on December 16, with the potential of loosening the measures in areas where rates have fallen. Mr Sandys said things could go either way.

He said: “I’m still not exactly certain going into December 16 whether it is a game of absolute numbers or a relative one.”

The seven-day infection rate across the county was 197.3 cases per 100,000 people, compared with the national average of 175.8 cases.

Mr Sandys said: “Only last Friday, when the government was considering the tiers, I don’t think any Leicestershire district was below the national average. “Now we have a couple.

“If we keep on pushing the rates down, as we are, the numbers will be on our side.”