The number of new coronavirus cases in Brighton and Hove has fallen again although the infection rate remains high, according to the latest figures.
There were 3,784 new infections in the seven days to Monday (10 January), down from 4,660 in the previous seven-day period.
This equated to a weekly rate of 1,297 new cases for every 100,000 people, down from 1,597.
The director of public health in Brighton and Hove, Alistair Hill, said that this week’s data showed a drop in cases but these were still extremely high numbers.
He said: “Covid is still spreading quickly across the city and throughout the country. We need to be vigilant about testing and following the guidance to make sure we keep ourselves and others safe.
“With a number of recent changes to testing and isolation guidance, it can be difficult to know what advice to follow.
“We should all be taking lateral flow tests whenever we’re meeting others or going to places that are busy or poorly ventilated.
“We should be recording both positive and negative results. This way you will receive the right guidance for you to follow from NHS Test and Trace. It also helps us to track the spread of the virus within the city.
“For anyone who has any covid symptoms, you should still book or order a PCR test and isolate immediately. When you receive your results, you’ll be given advice about what to do next.
“If you test positive on a lateral flow or PCR test, you should self-isolate immediately and follow the latest isolation guidance.”
The number of patients in the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, and the neighbouring Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital has fallen to 46.
The figure yesterday (Friday 14 January) included five or fewer patients with covid-19 in intensive care or high dependency beds.
Both hospitals are run by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust which was caring for 141 coronavirus patients in hospital on Tuesday (11 January), according to NHS England.
The trust runs seven hospitals in Brighton and Hove and in Shoreham, Worthing, Chichester and Haywards Heath.
The government’s coronavirus dashboard recorded no new deaths in Brighton and Hove in the 24 hours to yesterday (Friday 14 January).
In total 437 people had died in Brighton and Hove – unchanged from Thursday – with eight deaths in the past week, up from six the previous week.
The figures include anyone who died within 28 days of a positive test result for covid-19 and whose usual residence was in Brighton and Hove.
NHS England figures also said that 142,872 people over 18 in Brighton and Hove had had a booster or third dose of the covid vaccine up to last Sunday (9 January).
The figure, equating to 59.2 per cent, was among the lowest in the country.
