Covid: North East Lincolnshire infection rates 'highest ever'
- Published
Coronavirus infection rates in North East Lincolnshire are the "highest rate we've ever had", says a health official
A "perfect storm" of football and seaside trips may be behind a county's spike in Covid cases, a health chief has said.
North East Lincolnshire currently has the second-highest infection rates in England, according to latest figures.
Deputy Director of Public Health Geoff Barnes said "lots of young men" had been exposed since the start of Euro 2020.
He said the popularity of the area's resorts also had an impact.
The county, where new cases are at 929 per 100,000 population for the week to 7 July, has previously had lower rates than the rest of the country.
The area recorded 1,483 new cases in the same week, compared with 832 cases the week before.
"We didn't have the first wave at all last year," Mr Barnes said. "We had a surge in late last year and then things pretty well calmed down after that."
Pandemic 'not over'
Mr Barnes said the latest figure was "the highest rate we've ever had".
"We've seen quite young people get admitted in the last few weeks and we need to avoid that," he said.
"I think we've hit the perfect storm, we've not been affected as much as other parts of the country prior to this latest surge.
"We have the Delta variant alive, we had the football tournament and lots of young men have certainly been exposed in the last few weeks and the popularity of the resorts also had an impact this last six weeks or so."
Mr Barnes said the region was "reaching a peak" but hoped it would "fall over the next few weeks" and urged everyone to get double-vaccinated.
Geoff Barnes said he hoped the figures would start to trend downwards in the coming weeks
Earlier, the government confirmed most Covid guidance and legal restrictions in England would be lifted on 19 July.
But the prime minister said it was vital to proceed with "caution", warning: "This pandemic is not over" .
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