Brighton and Hove Covid-19 cases increase by 54 per cent: 'We all need to act now', says director of public health

Brighton and Hove's latest Covid-19 cases weekly rate is higher than the England average and almost double the South East rate.
The vaccination bus in Hove this weekThe vaccination bus in Hove this week
The vaccination bus in Hove this week

In the seven days up to June 17, we had 334 confirmed new Covid-19 cases in Brighton & Hove which is a 54 per cent increase on the previous week and equivalent to a weekly rate of 114.8 per 100,000 residents.

Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed that is higher than the South East rate of 57.5 per 100,000 and the England rate of 98.4 per 100,000. Brighton and Hove has one of the highest case rates in the South East of England.

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The majority of new cases are still among 15 to 29 year olds, many of whom hadn’t been able to book vaccinations before this week. There is also a rise in numbers among people in their 30s, 40s and 50s many of whom will only have had one dose of the vaccine so far.

But the rate among the over 60s is still low, and there has been no significant rise in the number of people needing hospital treatment for Covid-19.

Director of public health, Alistair Hill, said: “The ongoing increase in cases is a cause for concern. We all need to act now to reduce transmission and avoid the risk of more vulnerable people catching the virus.

“It is now clear that two doses of either the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna Covid-19 vaccines reduce your risk of catching or spreading the virus and provide a high level of protection against severe disease.

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“All adults aged 18 and over can now get their first vaccination. It’s encouraging to see how many young people in the city have booked or had their first jab in the first week it has been available to them.

"The time between vaccinations has also been shortened and more people in older age bands are now eligible to get their second dose.

“If you’ve not had your first jab yet, please go ahead and book it as soon as you can, and make sure to get your second dose when it’s ready too.

“Until the virus is fully under control, we all need to be careful and keep up with the Covid safety habits we all know so well by now.

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"Even if you've had the second dose of the vaccine please keep a safe distance from people that aren’t in your household or bubble, wear face coverings when away from home if you can, regularly wash hands or use hand gel, open doors and windows to let fresh air circulate – outside is safer than indoors.

"Twice weekly symptom free LFD tests should be part of everyone's routine, and at the first sign of Covid-19 symptoms or a positive LFD test, you must self-isolate immediately and book a PCR test."

The Sussex COVID-19 Vaccination programme has prepared a big vaccination push in Brighton and Hove following the increase in cases over the last two weeks. There are pop-up and mobile vaccination sessions taking place in various locations across the city.