Health officials keeping a close eye on Northampton's Covid-19 cases after 35% rise in the last week

Northampton's number of new Covid-19 cases has risen by 35 per cent in the last week, according to Government figures.

Public Health England's Covid-19 dashboard shows 70 new positive tests in the county were reported since 9am on July 12.

That equates to around 32 new infections per 100,000 of the county's population compared to 23 a week earlier and 18 in early July .

County health officials said on Friday that the figure, which is one of the measures used to determine the R number — the average number of people infected by one Covid-19 carrier — is not higher than expected.

But Rida Elkheir, Consultant in Public Health at Northamptonshire County Council, added: “We will continue to monitor local infection rates very closely and learn from outbreaks and communicate our findings in order to ensure that the public and the relevant settings are supported in implementing procedures that minimise risk of further transmission.

“We have learnt this week from a couple of settings where employees who have been car sharing to get to and from their place of work have tested positive for Covid-19.

"We have worked with the settings to ensure those testing positive for Covid-19 have followed self-isolation guidance and that contact tracing procedures have been completed.

"As a result, we have issued public guidance on measures to take if car sharing is unavoidable, such as wearing face coverings, keeping windows open and spacing out within the car.

“This week we have also seen increased guidance around the wearing of face coverings in shops and supermarkets.

"Where everyone within a setting is wearing a face covering, everyone is better protected. I cannot stress how significant individual actions are in keeping everyone safe and protected and would like to thank the residents of Northamptonshire for continuing to follow the guidance.”

“Wherever you live in our county, it remains hugely important to continue to follow the guidance to keep two metres apart from others outside your household wherever possible and wash your hands regularly. "

Northamptonshire's Covid-19 weekly surveillance report issued on Friday showed data up to July 12 and said figures are "in line with the East Midlands, and the higher numbers occurring in Northampton and Kettering are within the expected range."

Figures are collated using postcodes where those being tested live, So swabs taken in hospitals do not skew the numbers.

The East Midlands region includes Leicester where a local lockdown was imposed on June 30 when the number of new infections per 100,000 was over 140.

New guidance on wearing face coverings inside shops and supermarkets will come into force on Friday.

NHS bulletins issued over the weekend revealed no new Covid-19 victims at Northampton General Hospital or Kettering General Hospital.

The virus is so far known to have claimed 652 lives in Northamptonshire's two main hospitals and county care homes.