Sheffield’s Covid-19 infection rate rises as almost 280 people test positive this week

The new data, for the seven days to September 13, is published by Public Health England and based on tests carried out in laboratories and the wider community.

It shows that the Covid-19 infection rate is rising, with new cases reported across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire week-on-week.

It comes after stories of people struggling to get tested for coronavirus have emerged across the country.

Many people with symptoms are reporting being asked to travel hundreds of miles for testing, or are simply unable to get a test at all.

The below rates is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

SHEFFIELD

Sheffield's infection rate has risen from 38.1 to 44.7, with 279 cases confirmed within the past week.

In the week leading up to September 6, 223 cases were reported in the city- that’s an increase of just over 25 per cent.

The city has been designated as an ‘area of concern’ on the Government watchlist, as hopsital admissions start to creep back up.

This week, it was announced that Sheffield’s coronavirus death toll had risen for the first time in over a fortnight after the death of a patient who tested positive the deadly bug was confirmed by one of the city's hospitals.

DONCASTER

The infection rate in Doncaster has almost doubled- it currently stands at 21.8, up from 11.2.

In the week leading up to September 6, 35 new cases were reported in the town- in the past week, 68 new cases have been recorded.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed at many of the town's schools, including McAuley Catholic High School in Cantley where a whole year group were told to isolate after two pupils tested positive.

CHESTERFIELD

Chesterfield has also seen an increase in its infection rate, though only slightly.

The infection rate is up to 25.7 from 20.0, according to the figures.

A total of 27 cases were recorded in the town this week, up from 21 cases in the week leading up to September 6.

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins said he had been ‘inundated’ with messages from people ‘extremely anxious’ because they had not been able to get a test in the town or nearby.

"I have now had a long conversation with the local head of the testing programme for Derbyshire to discover what the situation is,” he said.

MANSFIELD

Mansfield has also seen a rise in its infection rate, which is up to 24.8 from 26.5.

In the week leading up to September 6, there were 29 new cases in the town whereas 38 cases were recorded this week.

On Tuesday, the Amazon’s Summit Park construction site in Sutton confirmed that 39 workers had tested positive for the virus.

Across the country, Bolton was the worst-hit area, with 587 new cases recorded in the past week.

The figures show that the town’s infection rate has increased from 152.0 to 204.1

Cities recording sharp increases in their seven-day rates include Liverpool (up from 56.8 to 106.4, with 530 new cases), Leicester (up from 60.7 to 89.8, with 318 new cases), Salford (up from 75.3 to 89.6, with 232 new cases) and Newcastle (up from 51.2 to 64.1, with 194 new cases).

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