More than 300 new Covid-19 cases among students in Newcastle have been confirmed.
Latest figures issued by Newcastle University state that 237 students and five staff reported a positive coronavirus test between October 15 and October 21.
That is a major fall from last week’s 749 cases and the 1,003 reported from October 1 to 7.
A further 81 cases among students and two among staff in the last seven days have also been confirmed by Northumbria University.
Again, the number marks a significant decrease compared to previous weeks. Last week’s figure for Northumbria was 131 cases and there were 619 between October 1 and 7.
Both universities were subject to major outbreaks of Covid-19 as more than 55,000 students returned to Newcastle and have moved almost all teaching online, with almost 3,700 positive cases confirmed among students in recent weeks.
But Prof Eugene Milne, the city’s public health director, said this week that the outbreaks had been “contained very effectively”.
He presented data on Tuesday showing a “remarkable” drop in the number of new infections among young people in Newcastle.
At one stage earlier this month there were around 330 new Covid cases being reported in 15 to 24-year-olds every day, but that number is down to around 70 according to most recent data.
A Newcastle University spokesperson said: "This is a substantial fall in new cases over two consecutive weeks.
"This data represents students and staff within Newcastle city with the overwhelming majority of cases from social and residential settings.
“We feel confident that we have appropriate measures in place to protect us all while we are on campus and to reduce the potential for transmission in our community.
“We are reminding our students and staff that we can help keep each other keep safe by following the guidelines and to remember the hand, face and space message.
"The University has a self-reporting system so that students and staff are able to let us know as soon as they receive a positive test for Covid-19 and for when they are self-isolating.
"This means students who have tested positive, are self-isolating or in quarantine, are able to quickly receive the package of measures in place to support their welfare and academic needs.”
A new walk-through coronavirus testing facility has now opened for those with symptoms to book appointments at the Castle Leazes Car Park at Newcastle University.
A Northumbria University spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff are our highest priorities.
"We are making extensive efforts to both reduce the growth in the numbers of cases and to provide support for our students and staff who are self-isolating.
“We are continuing to make extensive efforts to provide support for our students who are self-isolating.
"By Friday 23rd October more than 4,000 students will have been supported with access to online concierge services or food parcels delivered by our staff and the Students’ Union, as well as one to one contact by our welfare team to identify any other support they may require.”
