Bristol reached a grim milestone today in its battle against Covid-19, with the region surpassing a quarter of a million total confirmed cases since the pandemic began in early 2020.
A total of 1,675 new cases were confirmed across the region over the past 24 hours, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 250,152 confirmed cases.
Sadly, there were also six further deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test in the region on Thursday (January 13), bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 1,681 lives lost.
READ MORE: Covid-19: All 113 Bristol neighbourhoods ranked from most to least infected
The daily number of new cases in the Bristol region fell today after rising sharply yesterday to 1,927 - all areas are showing a decrease in the number of infections reported.
Cases also continue to fall across the UK, with the country seeing a 23.9 per cent drop in the last seven days. New cases in all four nations are continuing to fall, according to the latest government data.
In Bristol, the 'Nightingale surge hub' outside Southmead Hospital is being fitted out over the next few days to create extra space for staff to treat patients. Hospitals and NHS services remain under intense pressure, with the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group at alert level Opel 4, their highest alert level on the scale.
This means that, due to pressures from patient numbers and staff absences, the group says: "There is increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised."
In better news, dozens of families who got behind paying their rent because of covid will have their debt paid to save them from being evicted, according to a new report.
Bristol City Council is set to use a one-off grant from the Government to rescue between 150 and 250 low-income households at risk of homelessness, by paying their private rent arrears or moving them into affordable private rental housing.
The number of positive test results in each area since the pandemic began is recorded below, with new positive test results in brackets:
Bath and North East Somerset: 39,125 (+250)
- City of Bristol: 109,087 (+698)
North Somerset: 40,729 (+324)
- South Gloucestershire: 61,211 (+403)
The number of deaths recorded in each area of Bristol since the beginning of the pandemic is as follows, with new deaths within 28 days of a positive test in brackets.
- Bath and North East Somerset: 270 (-)
- City of Bristol: 619 (+3)
- North Somerset: 378 (+2)
- South Gloucestershire: 414 (+1)
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