Weekly New Forest coronavirus update – no deaths and 253 new cases

THERE were no deaths from Covid-19 reported in the New Forest this week for the first time in a fortnight.

The death toll in the district remains at 138, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Last week three fatalities were reported.

However, separate government figures for the seven days to Tuesday showed new weekly cases of Covid-19 in the New Forest had surged from 176 to 253 – up by 77. It brought the total cases so far to 1,620.

It meant the infection rate per 100,000 people in the district climbed from 97.7 to 140.5. By comparison, Kirklees in West Yorkshire has a rate of 585.3.

The BCP Council area, which includes Christchurch, registered 12 deaths in the latest ONS update published on Tuesday, amid concerns at rising infection rates in Bournemouth, in particular.

Last week the number was 17. The latest additions bring the total number of deaths in the conurbation so far to 230.

The provisional figures from the ONS related to cause of death for fatalities up to 6th November but which were registered up to 14th November.

The BCP Council area’s infection rate has also risen from 205.9 last Tuesday to 245.1 this week. There were 969 new weekly cases, up from 814 previously.

It brings the combined number of Covid-19 cases across the conurbation to 6,255 since the start of the pandemic.

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