Steep Covid case rises across most of Norfolk, figures show

Public Health England figures for the seven days to December 13, show the number of Covid-19 cases in Norfolk as a whole was 129 per 100,000 people, compared to 105 the previous week - the seven days up to December 6.

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It comes as Norfolk's director of public health, Dr Louise Smith, pleaded with people to be cautious over Christmas - or face a post-festive spike in infections.

The seriousness of the second wave of Covid was made clear after 283 new cases were recorded in one day, she added.

The latest figures show all but two of the nine local authority areas in Norfolk and Waveney saw rises in recorded cases.

The only exception was South Norfolk where the number fell from 99.4 per 100,000 from 108.6, while in North Norfolk the rate remained at 73.4.

However three areas are now either above or close to 150 positive per 100,000, including King's Lynn & West Norfolk which rose 148.6 per 100,000 compared with 107 in the previous seven days. There the number of individual positive tests increased from 162 to 225.

In Broadland there were 206 cases reported, up from 137 in the seven days up to December 13, which saw the rate soar to 157.2 per 100,000, having been 104.8 the previous week.

Coronavirus testing centre. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Norwich also saw a rise from 127.3 up to 149.4 per 100,000. The number of cases went up from 179 per week to 210.

Significant single location outbreaks are thought to be behind some of the rises. There are believed to be dozens of positive cases at Norwich Prison, which may be one of the events skewing the Norwich figures.

There were also big rises in East Suffolk, up to 102.2 per 100,000 from 66.5, and Mid Suffolk where the rate rose to 102 from 47.2 the previous week.