Nottingham has one the highest coronavirus infection rate in the country
Nottingham has been confirmed to have the highest coronavirus infection rate in the country.
2,201 cases were recorded in a seven-day interval from September 30 to October 6, according to data from Public Health England.
It comes as the city council has urged the Government to let them 'get on with taking the action ourselves'.
The city has jumped to the highest rate in England - from 112.3 cases per 100,000 to 689.1 per 100,000 in the seven days leading up to October 5.
The rising rate has coincided with a recent outbreak at the University of Nottingham, as figures on its website showed 425 students had tested positive for Covid-19 during the week ending last Friday.
Further restrictions are expected to be imposed on Nottingham on Monday (October 12).
Coronavirus cases in Nottingham have rocketed in one week and figures are now similar to areas in the country that are experiencing local lockdowns.
Most boroughs in Nottinghamshire also saw a rise, with cases in Newark and Sherwood up from 44 to 117 per 100,000 people.
Over 620 cases of coronavirus were recorded in Nottingham on Sunday (4 October).
Alison Challenger, Director of Public Health for Nottingham, said: “The new data from Public Health England confirms there are more cases of Covid-19 in our city than we were aware of last week."
“Our numbers are now significant. Every ward in the city is seeing an increase in cases, matching the rising trend in confirmed cases of Covid-19 nationally
“In the meantime, I would urge everyone to continue to follow the guidance of maintaining social distance, wearing a face covering and washing hands. Please also stick to the Rule of 6 to ensure gatherings are not in large numbers.
“I need to be clear: there is no vaccine for this virus – these measures are the only defence we have to keep ourselves safe from Covid-19.
“If you have symptoms of Covid-19 – continuous cough, high temperature or loss of taste or smell – please call 119 to book a test and then self-isolate. I would also urge people to download the Test and Trace app to help us to track the spread of the virus.
“We all have a role to play in this. We have to work together to protect each other and to slow the spread of Covid-19 across Nottingham.”
Multiple areas in England have now experienced spikes in cases due to the revelation of figures that were previously unknown.
Matt Hancock admitted earlier that around 48,000 people could have now unknowingly spread the virus to others due to the error.
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