HOSPITALS in north Cumbria have confirmed 276 Covid-19 patients deaths since January 1.

Though infection rates across Cumbria have fallen, the shocking scale of the tragedy locally is spelled out in the latest Government data, which tracks the mounting human cost of the pandemic.

According to NHS England figures, death rates at The Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven have fallen in the last few weeks - but experts are warning it is too early to relax restrictions.

Three Covid-19 patient deaths were reported by the trust involved - North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust - in the last week.

Copeland and Allerdale continue to have covid infection rates above the England average.

Since the start of the pandemic, the number of covid fatalities reported by the hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven is 559.

In south Cumbria, the NHS trust in charge of Barrow's Furness General Hospital and Westmorland General in Kendal, as well as hospitals in Lancashire, has reported 569 Covid-19 deaths.

Analysis shows that north Cumbria's worst day for covid deaths was January 16, when 11 fatalities were reported.

There were 59 patient deaths reported in the seven days up to January 18.

Colin Cox, Cumbria's Director of Public Health, said he was encouraged by the latest drop in new cases - but he warned this is not a reason to abandon lockdown rules that have driven those rates lower.

"I’m very conscious that schools will welcome all pupils back next week and that is a major change," he said.

"We’ll be watching the data very carefully to see what impact, if any, this has on infection rates. It remains really important that people stick to the Covid-19 restrictions and follow all the hygiene and physical distancing advice.

"It really does make a difference.”

Of the wider situation, Mr Cox added: "There are two things that are risks. One is the potential for new variants, where the vaccine is not as effective. These could arise at random.

"But as we start vaccinate more and more people, if we give the virus a chance to spread while we're doing that, then you risk what's called vaccine escape: that's effectively when by vaccinating you're putting pressure on the virus to evolve to resist the vaccine.

"It's possible that can happen.

"So clearly it's very important we not only vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible but that while we're doing that we don't give the vaccine the chance to circulate if we can possibly avoid it.

"The rules must absolutely stay in place until we're sure we have a very substantial proportion of people vaccinated."

Nearly 40 per cent of the county's adult population have now had their first vaccination jab.

The most up-to-date figures show that over the last week South Lakeland had the county's lowest infection rate - 38 new cases, equating to an infection rate of 38.1 per 100,000 of population.

The England average is 81.4 per 100,000 of population. The number of new infections in other areas of Cumbria (with the rate per 100,000 in brackets) are as follows:

* Eden: 23 (43.2)

* Carlisle: 69 (63.5)

* Barrow: 51 (76.1)

* Copeland: 65 (95.3)

* Allerdale: 96 (98.2).

The Covid-19 death figures in this article do not include those which occurred in non-hospital settings such as care homes.