Coronavirus Case Rates Continuing To Soar In South Derbyshire

South Derbyshire's coronavirus case rate has surged by 86 per cent during October.

The district, which includes Swadlincote, has 201 cases per 100,000 people, with 216 recorded new cases.

The Derbyshire areas with the fastest-rising cases of Covid-19 are those not in tier two lockdown restrictions.

This increases pressure for them to be put into into tier two, which means a ban on different households meeting indoors, including in pubs and restaurants.

Six of the nine Derbyshire districts, including Derby, now have Covid case rates of more than 200 per 100,000 people.

Our hospitals say that cases are spiking in young people and in the elderly.

Covid hospital admissions in Derby have tripled in two weeks and case numbers across the county are doubling in around a fortnight.

Yesterday (Thursday) Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, said the key reasons for Stoke, Slough and Coventry being put into tier two from Saturday (October 24) were:

•A rate of new cases of more than 100 per 100,000 people

•Cases doubling every fortnight

•Rising numbers of cases among the over 60s

In the most recent case rate figures, for the week October 13-19, the number of Derbyshire districts with infection rates of more than 200 doubled from three to six – two thirds of the county.

Derby itself is now on the brink with 195 cases per 100,000 people.

The districts now at 200 or above are South Derbyshire (201);

North East Derbyshire (260); Erewash (250); Bolsover (220); High Peak (201); and Amber Valley (201).

Amber Valley, Bolsover, Derby and South Derbyshire all have case rates higher than tier two Chesterfield (178).

However, Chesterfield may only have been moved into tier two due to North East Derbyshire's higher rate.

North East Derbyshire district almost encircles Chesterfield borough and this may have been an aim to prevent it being cut off.

None of the three Derbyshire areas with the largest increases in their case rate week-on-week are in tier two restrictions.

South Derbyshire's has surged by 86 per cent between October 6-12 and October 13-19; followed by Amber Valley with a 79 per cent increase and Bolsover with a 73 per cent increase.

Stoke is to be put into tier two restrictions tomorrow with a rate of cases of 220 per 100,000 people, along with Coventry on 189.

The majority of Derbyshire exceeds Coventry's rate, including Derby itself, but most, including the city are in tier one, the base level restrictions.

Just over a week ago Derbyshire's public health director said it was "inevitable" that once case rates reached a certain height of more than 100 per 100,000 people consistently that more areas of the county would be put in tier two.

Derby's public health director said just over a week ago that she "expected" the city to be in tier two in the next seven to 10 days (by the end of this week).

In the most recent week of case data (October 14-20), which is subject to change a few days after it is initially reported, Derbyshire as a whole, including Derby, saw 2,150 new Covid cases, up a third on the previous week (October 7-13).

Derby itself has seen 511 cases in the week October 14-20, up a third on the previous week.

Here are the rates of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people for each Derbyshire district for the week October 13-19, followed by the number of cases reported in that week:

Amber Valley: 201 cases per 100,000 people, 258 new cases

Bolsover: 220, 177

Chesterfield: 178, 187

Derbyshire Dales: 149, 108

Derby: 195, 502

Erewash: 250, 288

High Peak: 201, 186

North East Derbyshire: 260, 264

South Derbyshire: 201, 216

The national average is now 117 cases per 100,000 people, with all areas of Derbyshire exceeding this.

For further comparison, Leicester has a rate of 230 with 816 new cases in the past week; Manchester has a rate of 458 with 2,531 new cases; Nottingham has a rate of 561 with 1,869 cases; and Liverpool has a rate of 568 with 2,831 new cases.