Hastings has lowest Covid-19 infection rate in England, figures show

In the data released by Public Health England – on Wednesday (May 13) – the town reported an infection rate of 48.5 per 100,000 people.

A total of 45 people have tested positive for the virus, according to the figures.

Rother had the sixth lowest infection rate at 89.9 per 100,000 people.

According to the figures, a total of 86 people in Rother have tested positive for the virus.

As a result of the latest data, officials in Hastings and Rother have urged visitors to avoid travelling to the area as some lockdown restrictions ease.

Councillor Kim Forward, leader of Hastings Borough Council, said: “We love welcoming visitors to Hastings, some of whom return every year to enjoy the fantastic attractions, restaurants and shops our town has to offer.

“But for now Hastings will remain closed to visitors until we feel it is safe for our town to welcome them again. Our toilets are closed across our town as well which is helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“We are all working hard in Hastings to keep our residents safe and our infection rate is relatively low and we need it to be even lower.”

The leader of Rother District Council made a similar plea to potential visitors of Bexhill and Camber Sands.

Councillor Doug Oliver said: “Our message to anyone thinking of travelling to Camber or Bexhill for a day on the beach is ‘please don’t’.

“We appreciate the rules have changed slightly, and people are desperate for life to return to normal, but large numbers of people on our beaches could risk a second spike in this deadly virus.”

“The disruption of lockdown has also resulted in the RNLI being unable to offer a lifeguard service until later in the season, so anyone going into the water will be doing so at their own risk.

“We continue to work closely with Sussex Police and the Coastguard to make our beaches as safe as possible, but we need people to help us by staying away.”

In East Sussex as a whole, 652 people have tested positive. That is a rate of 117.6 per 100,000 people.

Both Hastings and Rother are both well below the average rate of infection across the county.

NHS England figures show a total of 72 people have died at hospitals operated by the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Elsewhere in East Sussex, Eastbourne accounts for 147 of confirmed cases – a rate of 142.5 per 100,000 people – while Wealden has 194 cases at a rate of 121.1 per 100,000 people.

Lewes has 180 confirmed cases at a rate of 175.2, Public Health England figures show.

In England, the rate of infection per every 100,000 people is 248.5, according to Public Health England.