A surge in coronavirus cases in England’s smallest county has been caused by a major outbreak of the deadly bug at a prison, it has been confirmed.
Rutland’s infection rates have exploded to the highest in the entire county at 498.4 cases per 100,000 people according to data released on Monday.
Now, officials at the Ministry of Justice have confirmed the spiralling numbers are at least partially down to a breakout at HMP Stocken.
Mass testing is now underway at the Category C facility – including three a week for staff – in a bid to stamp hard on the virus.
In a statement, Rutland and Melton MP Alicia Kearns said she understood that "around half" of the county’s 199 new cases were at the jail, which houses about 950 prisoners.
"We will see rates of Covid-19 continue to rise at Stocken, and therefore Rutland, over the next two weeks as a result of the increased testing planned to identify everyone who has the virus,” she said. “I hope this informs residents and demonstrates that significant efforts are in place to end the outbreak.”
Mike Sandys, director of public health for Leicestershire County Council and Rutland, said the county’s small population of just under 40,000 people meant its infection rate was more susceptible to spikes.
He said the outbreak at Stocken probably involved "tens of cases", but urged people to maintain social distancing and other preventative measures to "stop the virus spreading".
"It doesn't take so many cases, given the small size of Rutland's population, for that to make a really big difference to the rate," he said.
"There is at least some reassurance for local people - it isn't that we're seeing a massive increase in community transmission, it is contained within the prison setting."
The MoJ has declined to say how many people exactly are affected at the facility which, up until now, had been virus free for 11 months.
