The number of new coronavirus cases in Brighton and Hove has risen by more than a fifth in a week, according to figures published by Public Health England.
The figures, for the seven days to Monday (6 September), show the number of new covid-19 infections rising to 957 from 787 in the previous seven-day period.
And the rate has risen to 328 new covid cases for every 100,000 people – up from 270 but below the England average of 352.
The rate in Brighton and Hove remains among the highest in the south east at the end of a week when more than nine out of ten districts in the UK recorded a rise.
Up to Thursday (9 September) the cumulative number of covid-19 cases in Brighton and Hove since the start of pandemic stood at 28,619 – or almost 10 per cent of the local population.
The number of deaths in Brighton and Hove, with covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate, has risen to 492 in the most recent figures, up to Friday 27 August.
The three covid deaths in the week took the total for last month to 11, compared with five in July and up from just one each in May and June.
The number of patients with the virus in the Royal Sussex County Hospital has fallen from 33 to 11 in a fortnight.
The 33 patients on Friday 27 August was the highest number in the Royal Sussex since Easter but by yesterday (Friday 10 September) the number had dwindled to just 11.
Of those, five or fewer were in intensive care or high dependency beds and five or fewer children were in the Roya Alexandra Children’s Hospital.
The vaccination rate in Brighton and Hove still lags behind the national take up rate, with younger age groups considerably less likely to have had a covid jab.
There is an interesting metric that needs to be taken into consideration, one that suggests the pandemic is heading toward endemic stage, and that’s deaths following infection.
A vaccine is unfortunately not an panecea for completely defeating SARS-Cov-19, but it does reduce the risk of those who do get unwell from having a fatal or severely debilitating outcome.
Having said that though, wearing masks in public places and following good hand hygiene are two of the most effective things one can do to help, and I would congratulate anyone who maintains this practice.