NEW cases of Covid-19 appears to slackening in Winchester district, except for the Alresford hotspot.
Whilst the Winchester district has seen its smallest increase in some time with only 14 new cases the market town is now the worst area of Hampshire with Covid increases way above the national average.
Government figures show that in the seven days to Thursday November 19 there were 45 cases, up 34 on the previous seven days, or 301.9 per cent, a rolling seven-day rate of 531.9 per 100,000 people; the previous day the equivalent figures were 41 cases, up 29, or 241.7 per cent, with a rolling seven-day rate of 484.6 people per 100,000.
That puts it higher than Waterlooville North East with a rolling number of 492.
On Sunday November 15 the Alresford figure had been 27 cases in the previous seven days, a weekly increase of 20, or 222 per cent, on the previous week, with a rolling rate of 342.7 per 100,000 people.
The area around Alresford has seen a Covid spike that has seen Perins School last Wednesday become the first secondary school to close completely in central and southern Hampshire.
Also above the national average is Winchester North and Sparsholt with 24 new cases, a rolling rate of 247.3 per 100,000.
The Alresford area also includes Northington, Bighton, Gundleton, Tichborne, Cheriton, Bishop's Sutton, Bramdean, Shorley, Beauworth and Kilmeston.
‘Winchester district’ comprises more than the city and is the council area which stretches from Micheldever in the north to Southwick in the south, from Sparsholt in the west to Bramdean in the east.
Meanwhile, four more people are reported to have died in Hampshire of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. The death toll in the county council area is now 838 on Tuesday.
In Winchester City Council area the figures for deaths remains at 92. Portsmouth is on 95, up two, whilst Southampton is on 133, up one.
The number of coronavirus cases in the Winchester district increased in the last 24 hours by only 14 from 1,623 to 1,637 since March, an infection rate of 1,311.1 per 100,000.
The latest available figure for Covid patients at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and in Basingstoke 108, approaching the 155 at the peak of the first wave in the spring. .
The latest available data from Public Health England shows that the infection rate in the Winchester district in the seven days to November 19 is 226, a rolling rate of 181.1 per 100,000.
That is slightly down on the 230 cases or 184.2 in every 100,000 people in the seven days to November 17. It is fifth highest in Hampshire after Portsmouth, Havant, Southampton and Gosport.
Only 121 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in the HCC area in the last 24 hours, lower than the usual recent figures of more than 200. The figure is up from 16,269 on Monday to 16,390 today, since the start of the pandemic in March.
Figures published by NHS England show that over the last 24 hours one person has been reported to have died in the area covered by the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which includes the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, with two in both Portsmouth and Southampton.
So far, at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust there have been 201 recorded deaths, up one; 227 people have died at University Hospital Southampton, up two, whilst at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust the toll is now 272, up two. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 721 deaths across Hampshire.
The numbers of Covid sufferers being admitted to hospital has started to drop. There were 201 on Thursday but only 145 on Friday in hospitals across the south-east region. Today there are 1,163 patients in south-east hospitals, up 35 from 1,128 on Friday. Ninety-six are on life support through ventilators, the same as Saturday.
Some good news though. The R number in the south-east has slipped down to 1.1-1.3 meaning ten people will infect between 10 and 13 other people.
The following schools have reported cases since November 5: The Westgate, Fulflood; Bishop's Waltham Junior, Winnall Primary, Cheriton Primary, Kings'secondary, Denmead Junior, Perins Secondary (fully closed), St Peter's Primary, Swanmore Primary, Shepherd's Down Special, Compton All Saints CE Primary, and on Monday West Meon CE Primary
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