FIVE new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the Winchester area in the last 24 hours, according to figures released this afternoon.

The number of new cases of coronavirus reported in the Winchester district has risen to 561, the third day in a row the figure has been four or above. The current infection rate is 449.3 people in every 100,000. The increase of five is the highest daily increase since August 28 when 10 were reported.

No new deaths have been reported in Winchester district or in the Hampshire County Council area.

Across Hampshire 22 new cases were reported, bringing the number of infections 6,028 lab-confirmed cases of the virus, up from 6,006 on Wednesday.

Nationally, 59 deaths have been reported in the UK today, taking the number of confirmed reported deaths to 42,202, according to the ONS website.

Today, the rate of infection in Hampshire stands at 436.0 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average, 699.9. The Winchester rate is 449.3, higher than the county, but much lower than nationally.

There have been 460,178 cases of the virus across the UK. This is an increase of 6,914 in the last 24 hours.

The number of deaths in Hampshire hospitals is now 616. The figure for fatal cases at the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, is 162.

For the other local county trusts, Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust, 236; Solent NHS Trust, 2; Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, 17; University Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, 199.

The R number in the south-east remains between 1.1 and 1.3 meaning that on average every 10 people infected will infect between 11 and 13 other people.

The growth rate in the south east region is between +1% and +5%, meaning the number of new infections is growing by up to 5% every day.

Regarding Covid patients admitted to hospital, the figure is 14, up one, reported on Tuesday in the south-east region, that includes Hampshire. There are 93 with the condition in hospital today, down three on yesterday, but with eight on ventilators today, up three, according to the ONS. There are no specific numbers for hospitals in Hampshire.

Total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic of people who had had a positive test result for Covid-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test, are: Hampshire, 728, Portsmouth, 79 and Southampton, 123. The Winchester district figure, the city council area, is 77, a rate of 61.7 per 100,000 people.

In other coronavirus news:

A PUPIL at a Meon Valley secondary school has tested positive for coronavirus.

The Year 8 pupil at Swanmore College in Swanmore has not been on site since Thursday September 17.

The pupil tested a couple of days ago and the school has said it is in contact with their family.

Read more here

ALRESFORD Fun Fair has been allowed to go ahead on October 15 after organisers had been told it could not be held.

Read more here

MP Steve Brine has spoken of his fears that public support for the measures against coronavirus is “slipping away.”

Speaking in a debate in the House of Commons, Mr Brine said it was crucial to maintain the consent of the public: “I fear that that is slipping away. I am getting a constant stream of emails from constituents, questioning the decisions being made because they cannot see the evidence or logic behind them. They do not know where we are going or what is the destination."

Read more here