NO new deaths have been confirmed by Morecambe Bay Trust for October 7, according to the latest figures from NHS England.

According to the most recent report issued by Cumbria County Council:

  • A total of 11,096 tests carried out (positive/negative/void results), a slight decrease from the previous week;
  • - There are 366 new cases in Cumbria (+139 increase from 227 cases in previous week).

For the fifth consecutive week Barrow in Furness had the greatest number of new cases, +110 new cases, followed by South Lakeland, +95 new cases.

Barrow also had the highest rate of new cases for the fourth week running (+110 new cases = 164 new cases per 100k population – at October 2), well above the national average (England = 101 new cases per 100k population).

Councillor Ann Thomson, Leader of Barrow Borough Council, said: "All of us across Barrow now face the most serious situation possible.

"More than 80 residents across Barrow have already lost their lives to this vicious virus since March. Coronavirus cases are soaring through our communities, putting more lives at stake.

"We absolutely must take decisive action to keep everyone safe and break the rise in infections so that we can prevent a full lockdown. Your efforts will protect not just yourselves but your loved ones and others around you.

"This is difficult and not at all what any of us wanted. But taking precautions now will pay off in the long run so life can return to normal as quickly as possible."

Cllr Peter Thornton, acting Chair of the Area Outbreak Board and Deputy Leader of Cumbria County Council, said: “It was the unanimous view of the Board and local political leaders that we need to act now and make this request to Government.

"The infection rate is rising at an alarming speed and we are now in equivalent position to where we were in March. This is not scaremongering.

"It’s putting Barrow, its people and its economy, first and we need the whole community come together to make the difference. If we all pull together now we may be able to avoid a full lockdown in the future”

Simon Fell, Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness, said: “The number of coronavirus cases in our community continues to rise at an alarming rate. With that comes the steady drumbeat of more hospitalisations and the real and present danger of more deaths.

“As a community we have a simple choice: act now to save lives and turn this around, or face a stricter lockdown that could harm our local economy. We have days to do this, not weeks. For the good of the whole community, please stick to new guidance that comes into force.”

The decision to ask for new legal restrictions follows additional public health advice issued for Barrow on 17 September asking people to limit groups of six to people from no more than two households. Despite the strengthened advice new infections have continued to increase.

Colin Cox, Cumbria’s director of Public Health, said: “What’s happening in Barrow isn’t just a few outbreaks, or the result of increased testing, indeed over the last three weeks the number of people getting tested has dropped, but the percentage who test positive has tripled from less than four per cent to more than 12 per cent now.

"What we’re seeing is the virus circulating generally in the community and increasing spread from younger to older and more vulnerable people. That’s why we must do something different.

"New restrictions on household mixing would make it more difficult for infection to spread, while allowing much of normal life to continue. If things continue as they are, far more severe measures are likely to be inevitable.”