CUMBRIA has suffered its worst ever week for new Covid-19 infections as shocking new figures showed the county’s death toll has surged to more than 830.

Senior managers at the NHS trust which runs the acute hospitals in north and west Cumbria - the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven - continue to operate at the highest level of alert as the surge in patient numbers continues.

Record levels of community infection this week left the two hospitals caring for about 280 Covid patients with expectations that the number will continue rising. One nurse told The Cumberland News staff are close to breaking point and feel as though they’re in a “war”.

Meanwhile, the latest local data on the pandemic confirmed that in the week up to January 8, there were 3,489 people in Cumbria who tested positive for Covid-19 - 39 per cent up on the previous week.

Infections rates are high across the county, especially in Carlisle where the rate is 1,151 per 100,000 of population population.

The England average infection rate is currently 654 per 100,000. At North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven, managers have reported 306 covid deaths.

Recent days have seen an accelerating rate of fatalities, with 33 deaths reported by the trust since January 1. Across Cumbria, there have been 833 Covid deaths reported.

Five daily deaths were reported on each of three days over the past eight days.

There is also growing evidence that more young people are becoming seriously ill with Covid-19.

There was shock across Carlisle at the death of popular 39-year-old Michael Wilson.

The much-loved father-of-two had worked as an electrician for the hospital trust.

“We remain in an extremely serious situation,” said Colin Cox, the county’s director of public health.

“In the very latest provisional data, there are some early signs the rate of increase in new infections may be slowing, but the infection rate is still very high.

“Even if that trends continues, we can expect the very high numbers of people requiring hospital care, and increasing deaths, to continue for some weeks.

“This is putting our local NHS system under intense pressure. I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is we all follow the lockdown rules. The virus spreads when people come into contact; we must do everything we can to stop unnecessary contact with other people.

“Where being in contact with others is unavoidable, keep your distance, wear a mask, wash your hands – it does make a difference.”

As many as 90 per cent of the new infections in Carlisle were caused by the virus’s new variant. “It’s one of the main drivers,” he said.

He pointed out that Covid-19 is not a disease reserved for the elderly or those with underlying conditions. “It’s still more likely that the elderly and those with underlying conditions will get seriously ill, but it’s affecting young people too. We’re seeing young and otherwise healthy people going to hospital with Covid-19.

“Last week was the worst we’ve had in Cumbria.

“Tier four and lockdown may be starting to have an effect. But the best way to save lives and protect the NHS is to follow the rules - and stay at home.”

Among the most sobering facts to emerge this week was confirmation that officials have expanded facilities to cope with the rising number of deaths.

Andy Slattery, Cumbria police’s Assistant Chief Constable, said: “As part of our planning last year we increased the capacity for death management processes right across the board, not just for storage of the deceased.”

According to figures released yesterday, the two hospitals in north Cumbria had 15 covid patients on ventilators. With infection levels continuing to be high, managers say they expect the hospitals to be facing "sustained pressure" for the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, Government data this week saw the pandemic reach some alarming milestones. As of Friday evening, there were 37,282 in hospital; and on Wednesday the daily death toll reported was the highest of the pandemic so far, recorded as 1,564.

In his Downing Street briefing on Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of the country now being engaged in rolling out the biggest vaccination programme in our history but he warned: "It would be fatal if this sense of progress were to breed any kind of complacency because the pressures on the NHS are extraordinary.

"On Tuesday, we saw 4,134 new admissions to hospitals on a single day - the highest at any point in this pandemic.

"There are now more than 37,000 covid patients in hospital across the UK nd in spite of all of the efforts of our doctors and nurses and medical staff we're now seeing cancer treatments sadly postponed, ambulances queueing and intensive care units spilling over into adjacent wards."

With 1,280 deaths in the previous 24 hours, he said this is not the time for the relaxation of our national resolve and our individual efforts.

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