Covid cases are still falling in the North East, as the UK recorded its lowest daily death total in over six months.
There were ten more deaths announced on Saturday. That is the lowest number since September 14, when nine people died from coronavirus.
A further 3,423 people have tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.
Last Saturday, 58 covid deaths were recorded with the figures showing the impact Britain's rapid vaccine rollout is having.
Another 381,285 Brits were jabbed yesterday, with almost two thirds of those being second doses.
Praising the "spectacular" vaccination programme on Saturday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: "The vaccine is the route out".
And locally cases have fallen by over 50% in some parts of the North East in the past week.
Government data, published on Saturday, shows the infection rate is down across every North East council - albeit with wildly differing degrees of success.
In South Tyneside, cases fell by 50.4% in the last seven days. In Darlington, they were down by 46.8%, yet in neighbouring Stockton-on-Tees, there was just ONE less case - a decline of 0.5%.
However with the data only covering up to the week ending March 29, any impact the recent easing of lockdown restrictions had on infections has yet to be seen.
The rules were relaxed last Monday, with groups of up to six people permitted to gather outside - including gardens.
On Tyneside, groups were criticised after local green spots were left covered in rubbish and beer cans after large groups met up to mark the easing of the rules.
And as Europe battles yet another deadly wave, in the North East, there have been warnings ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend for people not to break the rules - and risk infections soaring once again.
And as our sister site, TeessideLive report s, PM Boris Johnson has also urged people not to meet indoors over Easter, even if they are vaccinated.
“We’re still very much in a world where you can meet friends and family outdoors under the rule of six or two households," he said.
“And even though your friends and family members may be vaccinated, the vaccines are not giving 100% protection, and that’s why we just need to be cautious.
“We don’t think that they entirely reduce or remove the risk of transmission.
