Weekly New Forest Covid figures update – rise in deaths but number of new cases continues to fall

TEN coronavirus deaths were reported in the New Forest in the latest weekly update from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In the latest seven-day report, figures for the district showed seven fatalities in care homes, two in hospital and one in a hospice.

There were eight deaths reported by the ONS in the New Forest last week and nine the week before that.

In the BCP Council area, which includes Christchurch, there were 23 fatalities recorded over the same seven days, compared with 31 the previous week.

Of the latest death toll across the conurbation, 16 were in hospital, six in care homes and one at home.

The provisional figures from the ONS related to instances where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate up to 26th February but were registered up to 6th March. Previously reported numbers can change after being updated by the ONS.

According to separate government figures, the number of new weekly cases of Covid-19 in the New Forest on Tuesday was 56 – bringing the total so far to 5,961. The previous week was 93.

It gave an infection rate of 31.1 per 100,000 people – nearly half the UK rate of 62.2. The highest rate was in South Derbyshire with 150.1.

In the BCP conurbation the number of new weekly cases on Tuesday was 153 – just over half last week’s level of 299. The rate per 100,000 people was 38.7.

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