The number of new coronavirus cases in Brighton and Hove has soared again, with more than 1,100 infections recorded in a single week.
And eight patients are being treated for the virus at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, although none is in a high-dependency or intensive care bed.
Public Health England said that the latest figure was 1,119 new covid cases in the seven days to Thursday 1 July – more than double the 498 cases in the previous seven days.
The rate has risen from 171 cases for every 100,000 people to 385, giving Brighton and Hove the highest rate in the south east and much higher than England’s average of 238.
But covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate of only two people who have died since the start of May.
And most new cases are among the under-40s, with the highest rate by far affecting 15 to 29-year-olds.
The rate of infection among 15-29s is 763 – almost double the average rate for Brighton and Hove as a whole.
The number of people to have their first vaccination in Brighton and Hove is just over 190,000, according to NHS figures, while almost 127,000 of those have had their second jab.
Brighton and Hove still has one of the lowest rates of vaccination take up in the country.
All adults are now eligible and Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has worked with colleagues in the NHS locally to lay on walk-in sessions at mobile vaccination centres.
Tomorrow (Wednesday 7 July) first doses of the Pfizer vaccine are on offer from 11am to 4pm at the Tesco superstore, in Church Road, Hove.
No appointment is necessary although people are asked to bring one form of identification and their NHS number if they know it.
More walk-in sessions for any adults have been organised for Friday (9 July) from 10.30am to 2.30pm.
They will take place at St Peter’s Church, in York Place, Brighton, and the Brighthelm Centre, in North Road, Brighton, where the Pfizer vaccine will again be on offer.
