Two die in first Forest coronavirus fatalities for five weeks as weekly figures show 172 new infections

TWO more people have died in the New Forest from Covid-19, according to official numbers.

There was one death in hospital and another in a care home in the district, reported the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its weekly update.

They were the first deaths in the area for five weeks and bring the total to 135 so far.

In the BCP Council area, which includes Christchurch, there were four deaths, all in hospital. It means 201 people have died in the conurbation from Covid-19 so far.

The provisional figures from the ONS published today (Tuesday) related to cause of death for fatalities up to 23rd October but which were registered up to 31st October.

Separate weekly government figures for the seven days to today showed 172 new cases of Covid-19 in the New Forest, bringing the total so far to 1,205 since the start of the pandemic.

The local rate is 95.5 per 100,000 people – compared with 742.2 in Blackburn, one of the worst-hit areas of the country.

The BCP area rate was 207.9, with the total amount of new weekly cases coming to 822. It brings the combined number to 4,089 since the start of the pandemic.

The case figures are for the numbers of people with at least one lab-confirmed positive Covid-19 test result in the most recent seven-day period.