‘A stark reminder' to follow the rules

Sunderland’ s rocketing coronavirus death toll and new case count are ‘a stark reminder’ of the need to follow the rules, says the city’s public health chief.

The South Tyneside and Sunderland hospital trust has seen 38 virus-related deaths this month, more than the previous four months combined.

And the city’ s case count has now topped 6,000, almost double the 3,276 recorded on September 30.

Sunderland is currently in Tier 2 of the Government’s three-tier restriction scheme, with speculation a continued rise in case numbers would make a move to Tier 3 inevitable.

Local council leaders have urged the Government not do so but the number of cases across the region has continued to rise – and with it, the number of deaths.

Director of Public Health for Sunderland Gillian Gibson said the continuing increase in both cases and fatalities meant there was no room for complacency. “These figures act as a stark reminder of why it is vital for us all to keep on following the rules in place to keep us safe,” she said. “Each and everyone of these deaths is a tragic loss and we each have a duty to do everything we can to prevent more families facing the devastating loss of their loved ones. “It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to follow the rules especially now that we’re heading into the flu season. That means continuing to follow the basic precautions that we’ve all been doing since March – staying two metres apart where possible, washing our hands for 20 seconds more often and wearing a face covering in public spaces.”