MOST Covid figures are still moving in the wrong direction, according to figures released this evening.

Covid-19 numbers are worsening across the district, led by villages in the southern parishes.

Seven deaths have been reported in the county council area in the last 24 hours with one in the NHS area that includes the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. The county council number is now 993.

The southern parishes of Denmead and Southwick are still seeing their numbers climb as they have for several days.

In the two villages in the seven days to December 19, 97 cases have been reported, an increase on the week before of 69, a rise of 246 per cent. The rolling number per 100,000 people would be 945.8, amongst the worst in the country.

In the adjacent area of Swanmore, Hambledon and West Meon there have been 24 cases, up 14 or 140 per cent, for a rolling number of 275.

Hampshire Chronicle:

These are the only two areas of the Winchester district where the increases are above the national average.

In Winchester East, which comprises Winnall, St Giles Hill, Highcliffe and Bar End, there were 13 cases, up four, for a rolling number of 159.6. In Alresford, where numbers were climbing so sharply last month that Perins secondary school closed, there have been just 3 cases, up one, for a rolling rate of 35.5.

Across Winchester district in the seven days to December 19 there have been 229, up 136, or 146 per cent, for a rolling number of 183.4. The 'district' covers more than just the city and covers a swathe of central Hampshire from Micheldever to Denmead.

Hampshire Chronicle:

The concern is that the infection will spread from Denmead and Southwick up the Meon Valley from Denmead towards the small towns of Wickham and Bishop's Waltham.

The daily increase in Winchester district was 27 today, down from 30 on Wednesday, 44 on Tuesday and 43 on Monday.

The worsening situation can be seen by the fact that in the last seven days to today (December 24) there have been 232 cases in Winchester district, compared to 133 in the week previously.

In total there have been 2,190 cases since the start of the pandemic, up from 2,163, giving an infection rate of 1,754 since March. The national rate is currently 3,330.7.

Out of the 300+local authority areas Winchester is now worse off than around 105. Last week for a few days there were only ten better, showing the steady rise in Winchester, probably caused by the proximity of the Winchester district to the badly-affected areas of Portsmouth and Havant.

The latest figures from the NHS show there are currently 31 Covid patients at the RHCH compared to 30 last week and 44 at Basingstoke hospital compared to 45 previously.

In the NHS across Hampshire 6 people are reported to have died today, with one in the HHFT area that includes the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. Across the county’s NHS some 852 people have died since March.

In Winchester City Council area the figures for deaths is 103, up one. In Portsmouth it is 124, up one, and 139 in Southampton, no change.

The Office for National Statistics reports that 993 have died in the Hampshire County Council area, with an increase of seven today.

So far, at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust there have been 234 deaths, up one; 234 people have died at University Hospital Southampton, no change, whilst at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust the toll is now 357, up five.