Weekly New Forest coronavirus update – six deaths and 184 new infections

SIX people died from Covid-19 in the New Forest in the latest weekly report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It is the highest seven-day number in the district for 26 weeks when nine people were reported to have died from the virus.

Five of the deaths were in care homes and one in hospital. It puts the coronavirus death toll locally at 145.

Although fatalities were higher, the number of new weekly cases in the New Forest on Tuesday fell from 253 to 184, according to separate government figures. It brought the total cases so far to 1,771.

The infection rate per 100,000 people dropped from 140.5 last Tuesday to 102.2 this week. By comparison, on the same day the worst affected area in England and Wales was Swale, Kent, on 569.

The worst areas within the New Forest on the same day with the highest seven-day rolling infection rates were West Totton on 285.5 (24 cases), followed by New Milton East on 270.2 (22), and Ashurst and Cadnam on 209 (12).

In the BCP Council area, which includes Christchurch, there were nine deaths of which seven were in hospital and two at home. It brings the death toll across the conurbation to 245. Last week there were 12 deaths and 17 before that.

The provisional figures from the ONS related to cause of death for fatalities up to 13th November but which were registered up to 21st November.

The BCP area also saw a fall in new weekly Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, however, from 969 to 691.

It means the infection rate stands at 174.8, down from 245.1 the week before. The total cases so far amount to 6,900.

The infection 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.