Is the covid tide turning in Brighton and Hove?

The number of new coronavirus cases in Brighton and Hove has fallen for the first time in weeks.

The decrease in the number of new infections comes as the national figure fell for the sixth day in a row.

There were still 1,326 new cases of covid-19 in Brighton and Hove in the seven days to last Thursday (22 July), according to figures published by Public Health England yesterday (Monday 26 July).

The number of new covid cases in the previous seven-day period was 1,456.

The rate fell from 500 cases for every 100,000 people locally to 456. This is still higher than the England average rate of 419.

The number of patients in the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, with the virus is currently 23, with five of those in a high dependency or intensive care bed.

The number of deaths in Brighton and Hove, with covid mentioned on the death certificate, is 474.

But just six of those have been recorded since the start of April, according to Brighton and Hove City Council figures.

Brighton and Hove still lags the national rate of vaccination uptake but 73 per cent of adults had had at least one dose up to and including yesterday (Sunday 25 July). And 54 per cent of adults locally have had their second dose.

While Brighton and Hove has long had lower vaccine take up rates than other areas, it also has a younger population. Fewer adults were eligible for a covid jab in the early stages of the vaccination campaign.

The BBC quoted the country’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty as saying that, while current hospitalisation rates are “not trivial” and are rising, they are “way below” those seen in previous waves.

This suggests that the vaccination campaign is reducing transmission among those most vulnerable to the virus.

And while many restrictions have been lifted, a number of leading officials and politicians are still sounding a note of caution.

They have been encouraging people to keep observing good hygiene habits, maintain social distancing and wear face masks in crowded places.