South Gloucestershire continues to have the highest rate of coronavirus cases in the Bristol region.
The Government’s daily Covid-19 update shows 74 cases were confirmed in South Gloucestershire today (December 12).
Over the last seven days, the area has recorded 386 cases. This means its infection rate is 135.4 per 100,000 people – higher than any other part of the Bristol region.
The city of Bristol has a rate of 123.9, North Somerset 126.5 and Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) 93.6.
But all those areas have a lower rate than England's average, which is 166.3.
After seven new deaths in the region yesterday, the toll rose by one today, as a person died in North Somerset within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.
It has brought North Somerset's total coronavirus death count to 169.
The breakdown of new cases
Today's daily rise in cases for each part of the region is recorded below, with the total figure during the pandemic in brackets:
Bath and North East Somerset: +30 (3,954)
Bristol: +88 (16,338)
North Somerset: +58 (4,592)
South Gloucestershire: +74 (6,965).
To get breaking news like this straight to your inbox, click here
Across the UK, there were 18,447 new cases today, with 144 deaths when measuring those 28 days from a positive test.
In Friday’s weekly update, the South West's coronavirus R rate was estimated to be among the lowest in the UK.
The South West’s reproduction (R) number is likely to be between 0.8 and 1.0, meaning 10 people with the virus will pass it on to between eight and 10 others.
Only the North East, Yorkshire and the North West have a lower R than our region, at 0.7 to 0.9.
Crucially, it means the virus is no longer expected to be spreading exponentially in the South West.
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said on Friday: "Our local hospitals are now seeing a decrease in people requiring treatment for COVID-19 symptoms; however the system remains under pressure."
