NEW figures reveal the scale of Cumbria’s coronavirus tragedy, with the number of deaths in all settings now approaching 400.

Despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week suggesting the UK may be passed the peak in Covid-19 deaths, Cumbria’s most senior public health official has warned that the virus could “come roaring back”.

Colin Cox urged people to continue social distancing as he confirmed that 117 care home residents in Cumbria are suspected to have died from coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the two NHS trusts which operate hospitals in the county - in Carlisle, Whitehaven, and Barrow - had by yesterday reported 266 patient deaths.

There have been 119 fatalities reported by North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust, which runs Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven.

At University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust, which manages Furness General Hospital in Barrow, as well as Royal Lancaster Infirmary, the latest death toll was 147.

A further seven Covid-19 deaths have been reported by the NHS trust which runs the Carleton Clinic psychiatric facility in Carlisle.

“At our hospitals, we saw a fairly rapid rise in the curve of cases, followed by a slower drop,” said Mr Cox, pointing out that Cumbria's worst day for fatalities was April 2, when the county’s two acute hospitals trusts saw 20 deaths in a single day.

"Care home deaths in Cumbria are still rising," said Mr Cox. "There have been 36 confirmed Covid-19 deaths among residents in our care homes; and 81 suspected Covid-19 deaths."

Efforts to slow the spread of the virus in Cumbria have worked, and doubling critical care capacity in the county's hospitals has allowed medics to cope with patient numbers.

"There was a time when we would have exceeded our normal critical care capacity if we had not increased it," he said. "April 2 was the day when we had our highest number of deaths. The Prime Minister has talked about how we are over the peak.

"That may be right when we look back, but at the moment - if you are in a care home - it doesn't feel like that. We have been particularly busy this week responding to and supporting our care homes.

"We are particularly keen people know this virus is still here; it's still circulating. I really don't want people to think that because the PM has said we are passed the peak that they start to relax and give up on social distancing. We can't.

"He also said - and this was less reported - that this is the most dangerous point; the point when everybody thinks it's okay. We can't go back to normal. That's the point when the virus could come roaring back with a vengeance. A second peak could be worse."

So far, 190 Covid-19 patients have been discharged from the hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven.