The local NHS Trust is urging people to help ease the pressure on healthcare settings as coronavirus cases soar in the community.

It comes after Allerdale was revealed as one of the five areas in the country with the biggest week-on-week rise, with going from 155.5 to 514.5 new cases per 100,000 people.

Rachel Eastham, matron for emergency care at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) is asking people to do "simple things" to help keep the case numbers down.

She said: "If you need to access our services, please come to the department alone.

"Unless you need support or are the parent or guardian of a child who requires treatment, you should not bring others with you into the hospital.

"As a health care setting, we need to maintain the highest levels of infection prevention standards on our sites including social distancing.

“We have seen people bring whole families with them to A&E, and with the increase in the infection rate in the community the more people who come to our sites unnecessarily, the more likely we are to bring the virus in.

"While the Trust continues to prioritise the most urgent patients those with less urgent needs are advised to seek advice from their GP, an urgent treatment centre, a pharmacist or NHS 111 online first."

A number of Workington businesses have been forced to close due to the rising number of cases.

The Junction bar has announced it will be shut this weekend, which the owers say is a result of the "drastically rising Covid cases in Allerdale".

The popular tapas and cocktail bar, Flavour will also be closed, as the owners have been forced to isolate after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.