THE rapid rise in cases of Covid-19 in Alresford may be peaking.
The latest figures show that the steep increase in the market town is flattening out but it still has the highest rolling ratein Hampshire per 100,000 people.
The Winchester district as a whole saw only 12 new cases reported today, Wednesday, the lowest number since November 8.
Government figures show that in the seven days to Friday November 20 there were 40 cases in Alresford, up 23 on the previous seven days, or 135.3 per cent, a rolling seven-day rate of 472.8 per 100,000 people; the previous day the equivalent figures were 40 cases, up 29, or 241.7 per cent, with a rolling seven-day rate of 484.6 people per 100,000.
Across the Winchester district the equivalent rolling figure is just 133.8 with 167 new cases, down 83. The figure in an adjacent area to Alresford is Colden Common and Twyford which stretches out to Owslebury. There have only been three cases, down 7, or 70 per cent for a rolling rate of just 31.5.
The figures are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).
The area around Alresford has seen a Covid spike with Perins School last Wednesday becoming the first secondary school to close completely in central and southern Hampshire. It is due to reopen next Thursday, December 3.
The Alresford area also includes Northington, Bighton, Gundleton, Tichborne, Cheriton, Bishop’s Sutton, Bramdean, Shorley, Beauworth and Kilmeston.
For clarity ‘Winchester district’ comprises more than the built-up 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 was 842.
In Winchester City Council area the figures for deaths remains at 92.
The number of coronavirus cases in the Winchester district increased in the last 24 hours by only 12 from 1,637 to 1,649 since March, an infection rate of 1,320.7 per 100,000.
Across Hampshire there were only 144 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 16,390 on Tuesday to 16,534 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.
So far, at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust there have been 202 recorded deaths, up one; 227 people have died at University Hospital Southampton, same, whilst at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust the toll is now 273, up one. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 726 deaths across Hampshire.
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.
Other coronavirus news:
Background: Yesterday's numbers.
What the county council say about the Alresford hotspot
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