'Yet to peak' virus data suggestion for Carlisle and Eden

An analysis from the Daily Telegraph of the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested that Carlisle and Eden were two of just 18 districts across England and Wales that were yet to experience a peak in coronavirus deaths.

The peak refers to the point at which deaths are occurring most frequently.

Cumbria's director of public health, Colin Cox confirmed that "Carlisle has had a little bit of an upward trend," in Covid-19 deaths, but that the latest figures suggest a steady, rather than a rising rate of deaths from coronavirus in the city.

The most recent day for which the ONS has data is Friday May 15, meaning it has not been able to capture the situation across the last fortnight.

Mr Cox said in response to the figures that there was nothing to suggest deaths in Carlisle and Eden were rising, rather that they were remaining steady.

"Eden's had very few Covid-19 deaths," he said, explaining that because there have been so few, it does not make sense to describe it in terms of peak and decline.

"There was never a peak; it's just been bumping along the bottom with a few deaths per week, for quite a while."

He added that Carlisle's rate of Covid-19 deaths has been influenced by two peaks, and that in recent weeks the city had been experiencing between 15 and 17 deaths per week.

"It's very clear the first peak, the major peak, was driven by deaths in hospitals.

"That second, smaller peak was driven by care homes.

"These numbers will be affected considerably by things like a significant outbreak in a care home.

"If you get one of those, that's going to skew those figures.

"So the fact that we've got a large number of care homes in Carlisle, and there was a significant outbreak going on at that time.

"There were quite a lot of deaths associated with that one outbreak.

"I would think that explains quite a lot of that continued high level in Carlisle."