Cumbria has recorded its largest number of positive COVID-19 cases in a single day.
Cumbria’s director of public health, Colin Cox, confirmed that Monday witnessed the largest single-day spike to date.
While Christmas has complicated the data, he said he expected the number of positive cases to total around 1,200.
The previous highest number of cases recorded on a single day was in January with 660 new cases.
Monday’s figure is almost double that.
Mr Cox said: “The gamble the Government is making is that cases don’t matter as long as hospitalisations remain low so the NHS is not overwhelmed.
“The Government is definitely taking a risk and I just hope they’re right.”
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust which runs the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven said there have been no deaths in the last week but that hospital admissions for covid have increased.
New cases are particularly prevalent among younger adults.
Mr Cox added that while higher rates in pubs and clubs were only anecdotal at this stage, it could be expected due to many households mixing indoors with alcohol.
The advice remains for people to reduce contact with others, wash their hands regularly, wear a mask and to get vaccinated.
The public health boss added that people should also be taking lateral flows before socialising to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
