'No time for complacency' - Northumberland residents warned to stay alert as county's Covid-19 case rate goes up

A weekly report is now being released every Thursday, showing the latest Covid-19 case rates per 100,000 population by local authority area.

According to the latest data from Public Health England – released on Thursday, July 9 – Northumberland’s case rate for the week ending Sunday, July 5, is 3.1 – an increase of 0.9 cases from the previous seven days.

New figures are expected to be made available this Thursday (July 16) for the week ending Sunday, July 12.

Liz Morgan, Director of Public Health at Northumberland County Council, said: “The rate of new positive cases in Northumberland has varied from 2.81 per 100,000 people to 3.43 per 100,000 people over the latest three weeks, for which the figures are available, but these are very small numbers we're dealing with.

"The actual number of residents testing positive only varies between nine and 11 individuals over that period.

"Staff in both the council's Public Health team and in our local Public Health England team scrutinise the data available on a daily basis; so far there is no evidence of changes which may be a cause of concern.”

But health bosses are urging residents to continue social distancing in a bid to minimise the risk of the illness spreading in Northumberland.

People are reminded that it is vital to stay at home if you have Covid-19 symptoms to reduce the risk of infecting anyone else and to get tested.

Anyone who does test positive, must respond to contact from NHS Test and Trace.

The Public Health Director added: “We can minimise the risk of catching coronavirus by keeping contact with other people to a minimum; maintaining that two-metre social distance from people outside your household; and regular hand washing.

"Although numbers of cases remain low in the county, this is no time for complacency.

"We remain in the midst of a pandemic and as we've seen from other areas, infection rates can escalate very quickly so it remains really important that we all continue to follow the rules."

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