The number of new COVID-19 cases continued to drop in week ending November 19th, down from 1997 to 1653, a 17% drop.

This is the fourth consecutive week that cases have dropped, but numbers remain over 40 times higher than in the summer and cases rates are high.

Cumbrians are encouraged to get vaccinated if they have not already done so and get the booster if you are eligible or over 40. If you have Covid symptoms self isolate and get tested immediately, if it is negative your isolation can end. Also, use lateral flow testing sensibly when attending crowded places.

Colin Cox, Cumbria’s Director of Public Health, said: "We have definitely passed the peak of this current wave, but it is unlikely to be the last. Other parts of the country are seeing case rates rising again and it could happen here too.

"This week I’ve been hearing a lot of comment from people surprised by how unwell they have felt with Covid, despite being vaccinated. The vaccine does reduce your chance of getting Covid but doesn’t guarantee you won’t get it. What it’s very good at doing is protecting you from becoming so ill that you need hospital treatment, but even that protection does reduce a bit over time.

"That’s why Government has been opening up the booster vaccination programme to younger age groups. Now anyone over 40 can book if their last dose was more than 5 months ago, and I really urge people to do that, so they have the best possible protection against getting ill."

In the past week Carlisle overtook Allerdale with having the greatest number of new cases, with 345 new ones recorded.

Rates in most Cumbrian districts were below the national average apart from Barrow-in-Furness with new cases decreasing from the previous week in all districts except Eden.

For the 2nd week in a row the 5-11 age group had the greatest number of new cases in Cumbria with 339 more new cases.

New cases in the under 50 age group accounted for 76% of total new cases, compared to 72% in the previous week.