A BRAND-NEW testing centre is to open in Carlisle to combat increased demand for coronavirus tests in the city.

Cumbria's Director of Public Health Colin Cox says the new centre at Devonshire Walk, near Carlisle Castle, will help the city deal with additional demand and will increase testing capacity in the area.

He said this test centre frees up the mobile centres to go elsewhere.

Mr Cox said he thinks the walk-through test centre would be in Carlisle for two months at least.

The weekly figures for coronavirus cases in Cumbria for July 27 - August 2 - the latest weekly figures by area available - there were three new positive cases in Belle Vue & Burgh, the same number of new cases in Silloth and Wigton and five in Denton Holme and Harraby Green.

In Eden, Penrith Central & West recorded six new cases that week.

The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic in different areas is:

(the total number of cases per 100,000 is in brackets)

  • Allerdale - 375 (383.6)
  • Barrow-in-Furness - 601 (896.4)
  • Carlisle - 760 (699.3)
  • Copeland - 356 (522.1)
  • Cumbria - 2,915 (583)
  • Eden - 207 (388.7)
  • England - 268,312 (476.7)

When looking at the number of deaths in each of the above areas - again with the death rate per 100,000 people - the figures are as follows:

  • Allerdale - 74 (75.7)
  • Barrow - 60 (89.5)
  • Carlisle - 115 (105.8)
  • Copeland - 63 (92.4)
  • Eden - 39 (73.2)
  • England - 41,948 (74.5)

In the last month the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust - which operates the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven - has recorded 11 new hospital deaths - up from eight the previous month.

According to NHS England data, the last hospital death recorded by the north Cumbria trust was recorded on Saturday.

The same data shows the trust's total death toll stands at 174.

At the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust - which runs hospitals including the Furness General Hospital in Barrow and the Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal - there have been only two new deaths recorded in the last month.

The last announced deaths at the Morecambe Bay Trust came on July 10, takng the total dead to 169.

A brief statement from Cumbria County Council about the new Carlisle testing site said: "The new testing centre at Devonshire Walk has been set up to provide additional testing capacity for the Carlisle area."