Sheffield Covid-19 infection rate nearly TRIPLES after missed coronavirus cases counted

There were 1,676 confirmed cases of Covid-19 recorded across the city during the seven days to Friday, October 2, the latest date for which reliable figures are available, giving a weekly infection rate of 286.6 new cases per 100,000 people.

That is nearly three times the rate of 100.9 for the previous week, when 590 cases were recorded, according to data from Public Health England.

Sheffield Hallam University moves more teaching online as nearly 370 students test positive for Covid-19

Sheffield’s weekly infection rate is now the 14th highest of any local authority in England, above areas including Bolton and Leicester, which had been hotspots for the virus.

Manchester now has the highest weekly infection rate, of 529.4, with Liverpool (487.1), Newcastle (434.9) and Leeds (316.8) among the other areas in the top 10.

Other cities have also seen big increases in their infection rate, with Nottingham’s rising sixfold from 59.5 to 382.4.

Not everyone in the UK will receive a coronavirus vaccine - here's who will be prioritised

It is not known how much the infection rate in Sheffield and other cities has been affected by a technical glitch which led to nearly 16,000 coronavirus cases between September 25 and October 2 going unreported, before being added to the national figures for Saturday and Sunday.

Sheffield’s director of public health, Greg Fell, said this week it was a ‘matter of when, not if’ local restrictions are introduced in Sheffield, something he expects to happen within a month and probably sooner.

The city is already on the Government’s coronavirus watchlist as an ‘area of enhanced support’, meaning additional help is available to curb the spread of the virus, which could include new testing centres.

Sheffield University reveals almost 500 staff and students have tested positive for Covid-19

That is the second highest of three levels, with the next being an ‘area of intervention’, with additional restrictions in place.

Should a local lockdown be imposed in Sheffield, Mr Fell says he expects it would be similar to those already in place elsewhere, with households banned from mixing but no requirement for pubs or other venues to close.

The latest figures for Sheffield show that 309 people tested positive on Friday, the most recent date for which reliable data is available, with 361 confirmed cases last Thursday and 317 on the Wednesday.