“We’ve seen infection rates at this level during last summer and we all know what happened next.”
Cumbria’s public health director has urged people in the county to remain cautious as just 42 new COVID-19 infections were recorded in the week ending April 30, down from 59 the previous week.
Overall, the infection rate in the county dropped to eight per 100,000, below half the national and regional average. Some variation continued to be seen across districts, but the overall picture remained very positive.
A total of 62,998 COVID-19 tests were carried out. Regular testing remains a key part of defence against a resurgence of the virus.
Hospital admissions for COVID-19 remained very low.
Colin Cox, Cumbria’s director of public health, said: “I continue to be hugely encouraged by the latest data. We’re on the right track and if this carries on then I fully expect restrictions will be lifted in line with the Government’s roadmap.
“I of course remain cautious. We’ve seen infection rates at this level during last summer and we all know what happened next. With the continued success of the vaccination programme, however, the context has certainly changed.
“We all just need to keep doing the simple things – washing hands, using masks, maintaining distance, meeting outdoors, getting vaccinated and keep up with the regular testing – and I’m hopeful we can get back to something very close to normal soon.”
