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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Kirstie McCrum

Small increase in positive Bristol coronavirus tests as neighbouring districts' cases continue to rise

Two new patients have been diagnosed with coronavirus in the city over the past 24 hours, according to figures released by Public Health England today (August 23).

The new positive cases bring the city's total to 1,442.

Two of Bristol's neighbouring districts also recorded rises.

Bath and North East Somerset saw an increase of seven, bringing its total to 394, while four further cases were recorded in South Gloucestershire, which now has 801 cases.

North Somerset has remained at 930.

Across the UK, 325,642 people have now tested positive for coronavirus, an increase of 1,041 in the last 24 hours.

Today's figures show  41,429 people have died across the UK - with six in the last 24 hours.

Covid deaths

Neither of Bristol's hospital trusts have recorded a coronavirus-related death since the beginning of July.

The total number of deaths recorded locally stands at 270 since the pandemic began.

Meanwhile, England's chief medical officer says children are more likely to be harmed by not returning to school next month than by coronavirus, even if they catch it.

Prof Chris Whitty said "the chances of children dying from Covid-19 are incredibly small" - but missing lessons "damages children in the long run".

Millions of pupils are due to return to school within weeks and the government has said it expects all pupils to return to class full-time in September. Schools have already reopened in Scotland.

Prof Whitty, who is also England's chief medical officer, said "many more [children] were likely to be harmed by not going than harmed by going" to school.

"There's also very clear evidence from the UK and around the world that children much less commonly get a severe illness and end up having to be hospitalised if they get symptomatic Covid," he added.

Prof Whitty said that while the risk to children of Covid-19 from returning to school was "not zero" the evidence that not going to school damages children in the long run was "overwhelming".

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