Nearly 20 UK council areas have NOT yet seen their coronavirus peaks in this first wave despite numbers falling nationwide and lockdown being eased
- Eighteen councils in Britain have still not yet seen their coronavirus death peak
- North Somerset, Preston, Doncaster and Carlisle are enduring their worst weeks
- ONS data has revealed a considerable degree of variation on a local level
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Eighteen councils in Britain have not yet seen their coronavirus death peak.
The country as a whole is seeing a decrease in the number of Covid-19 deaths, but still some parts of England and Wales have not yet seen their worst days.
North Somerset, Preston, Doncaster and Carlisle are enduring their worst weeks so far, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.
The ONS data reveals a considerable degree of variation on a local level, with 18 areas suffering their worst week of coronavirus deaths in the most recent figures.
Because of the localised nature of outbreaks, ministers are considering introducing restrictions for individual schools and offices as part of the Test and Trace scheme launching today, the Telegraph reports.
North Somerset suffered 24 coronavirus deaths in the week ending May 15. The area hosts Weston Hospital, which had to shut to new patients this weekend following a spike in coronavirus patients.
Eighteen councils in Britain have not yet seen their coronavirus death peak
North Somerset suffered 24 coronavirus deaths in the week ending May 15. The area hosts Weston Hospital, which had to shut to new patients this weekend following a spike in coronavirus patients
Workers at the hospital forced to close due to a Covid-19 outbreak were the first to be contacted by the government’s Test and Trace programme today – as it emerged twice as many staff have the virus than patients.
Boris Johnson used Weston Hospital as an instance where the Government ‘moved very quickly to close things down there to try to sort it out’.
He added: ‘That is the kind of whack-a-mole tactics that we are going to use as we keep driving the virus down and keep reducing the incidents.’
But North Somerset is not alone in terms of high coronavirus deaths.
Those areas yet to see their peak include Ashford, Kent; Broadland, Norfolk; Carlisle, Cumbria; Doncaster, South Yorkshire; Eden, Cumbria; Fenland, Cambridgeshire; Herefordshire; Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicestershire; Kettering, Northamptonshire; and North Somerset.
Other areas are Preston, Lancashire; Richmondshire, North Yorkshire; Rother, East Sussex; Selby, North Yorkshire; South Norfolk; Tonbridge and Malling, Kent; Wrexham, North Wales; and Wyre, Lancashire.
It comes as the Prime Minister tonight gave the green light to the first limited socialising since lockdown, revealing that up to six people can now meet outdoors and in private gardens for barbecues – as long as they stay six feet away from each other.
Mr Johnson revealed that the restrictions are being eased slightly from next week, as he formally reduced the country’s Covid ‘alert’ status from four to three.
Despite warnings from chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance that 8,000 new infections are still happening every day and admitting making the rules more nuanced will create ‘anomalies and inconsistencies’, Mr Johnson unveiled a series of changes to take effect in England from Monday.
Up to six people from different households will be allowed to mix, opening the prospect of reunions for family and friends – although they will still be told to obey social distancing rules. They will also be permitted to use gardens and private outdoor spaces, which was previously banned.
Non-essential shops and primary schools will start to reopen from next month, as had been suggested earlier in the week.
Mr Johnson told the daily Downing Street briefing: ‘I cannot and I will not throw away all the gains we have made together. So the changes that we have made are limited and cautious.’