The pandemic is continuing to claim lives in Cumbria, with hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven seeing seven fatalities in a week while the NHS trust operating in south Cumbria reported more than 20 deaths in eight days.

The latest figures from NHS England confirm that over the last week Carlisle recorded the second highest total of new cases - 235.

Only South Lakeland, with 235 new cases, reported more.

Carlisle's infection rate per 100,000 of population stands at 215.3.

In Barrow, the area that was causing particular concern before the lockdown, the number of new cases in the last week was 126, while in Copeland the figure was 153; in Allerdale it was 194, and in Eden it was 117.

Latest figures also show also the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test in each local authority area.

The highest figure was 116 deaths, recorded by Carlisle, followed by South Lakeland with 113, then Barrow with 85, Allerdale with 77, Copeland with 70, and then Eden with 42.

The figures for deaths among hospitalised covid patients continues to underline the need for people remain vigilant.

At North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust, which runs both The Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, the latest figures show there have been 205 patient deaths reported in total, with seven in the last week and three on one day.

At University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust, which runs Furness General Hospital, Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal, and major hospitals in Lancashire, the number of patient deaths has continued to rise steadily in recent days, with a total of 21 in the eight days for which figures are available.

The total number of covid deaths reported by the trust now stands at 271.

The official figures do not include covid related deaths which occur more than 28 days after a positive test.

The total number of recorded positive cases for each local authority area in the county since the pandemic began is as follows:

* Carlisle: 2,287

* Allerdale: 1,281

* Copeland: 1,082

* Eden: 837

* Barrow: 1,858

* South Lakeland: 1,805.