Concern Cumbria's Covid cases are four-times above official figures

Mr Cox said the number of Covid cases was causing pressures on the county's hospitals

Cases of Covid in Cumbria could be about four times higher than official figures suggest, according to the county's public health director.

Colin Cox said hospital pressures in the county remained as high as they were during the January Omicron peak.

Free testing was scrapped by the government earlier this month.

Mr Cox said although official figures suggest the rate is below 500 cases per 100,000 population, he believes it could be as high as 2,000 cases a week.

He said: "So my guess is four times higher than official rates and that's translating into high pressures in hospitals.

"It really does feel like there are very few tools in the toolbox left and what we recommend is if people have symptoms of Covid and they can't do a test then they should still be isolating until they are better.

"That's still the public health advice but it's obviously not the law any longer."

A recent spike in Covid cases has caused problems, with staff sickness impacting entire supply chains.

The British Chambers of Commerce has called for all companies to be given free or cheap lateral flow tests.

Latest weekly Office for National Statistics figures suggest Covid-19 infections in the UK may be beginning to level off.

Mr Cox said he thought after two years many people were "weary" of the coronavirus pandemic, with many people believing if they catch it they will be OK.

He said as a result following advice to protect more vulnerable people was "more challenging".