Hundreds more infected with Covid in Northumberland, and three more die

A total of 41,957 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 in Northumberland when the UK coronavirus daily dashboard was updated yesterday (Monday), up from 41,152 on Friday.

The rate of infection in Northumberland now stands at 12,957 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the England average of 13,254.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 119,825 over the period, to 8,809,774.

The figure does not include cases reported in Wales on Monday, due to a technical issue at Public Health Wales.

There were also three more coronavirus deaths recorded over the weekend in Northumberland. In total, 769 people had died in the area by October 25 – up from 766 on Friday.

It means there have were seven deaths in the past week, which is a decrease on nine the previous week.

They were among 6,719 deaths recorded across the North East.

The figures include anyone who died within 28 days of a positive test result for Covid-19, and whose usual residence was in Northumberland.

Daily death counts are revised each day, with each case backdated to the actual date of death.

Figures reported on a Monday are likely to be lower as a result of a lag in reporting deaths over the weekend.

The figures also show that more than four in five people in Northumberland have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The latest figures show 241,103 people had received both jabs by October 24 (Sunday) – 82% of those aged 12 and over, based on the number of people on the National Immunisation Management Service database.

Across England, 79% of people aged 12 and above had received a second dose of the jab.

In a recent press conference, Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, warned that winter could see cases rise to 100,000 a day. He added that “this pandemic is not over” and insisted that he would do “what it takes” to protect the health service.

But despite the British Medical Association insisting that it was “categorically” now time to activate ‘Plan B’, Javid has so far ruled out plans to introduce tighter measures designed to protect the NHS.