Latest New Forest Covid figures – two deaths as infection rate plummets

TWO people died from Covid-19 in the New Forest, according to the latest weekly report, as the infection rate in the district plummeted to one of the lowest in England.

Both fatalities were in hospital, revealed the latest report published on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Last week six people were reported to have died. It puts the coronavirus death toll in the district at 148.

However, the number of new weekly coronavirus cases in the New Forest on Tuesday fell by more than half from 184 to 77, according to separate government figures. It brought the total cases so far to 1,849.

The infection rate per 100,000 people also dropped – from 102.2 last Tuesday to 42.8 this week, one of the lowest in the country. By comparison, the England average was 162.3.

In the BCP Council area, which includes Christchurch, there were 13 deaths of which 11 were in hospital, compared to nine in total last week. It brought the death toll across the conurbation to 261.

The provisional figures from the ONS related to cause of death for fatalities up to 20th November but which were registered up to 28th November.

The BCP area also saw a fall in new weekly Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, from 691 to 379

It means the infection rate stands at 95.9, down from 174.8 the week before. The total number of cases so far amounts to 7,224.

The infection figures are for the numbers of people with at least one lab-confirmed positive Covid-19 test result in the preceding seven-day period.