West Sussex daily Covid-19 cases top 1,000 for the first time
A further five deaths have been recorded at an NHS trust in the county
More than 1,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in 24 hours in West Sussex for the first time since the pandemic started.
Figures released by Public Health England showed a further 1,024 infections had been recorded in the county between 9am on Tuesday (December 5th) and 9am on Wednesday (December 6th).
It means that, for the second day in a row, coronavirus case rates have seen their highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic.
A total of 22,620 people have now tested positive for Covid-19 in West Sussex since the start of the pandemic.
The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.
The rate of infection in West Sussex now stands at 2,618 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 4,354.
The cases were among 62,322 reported across the UK on Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,836,801.
West Sussex's cases were among the 335,447 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 9,567 over the period.
Further deaths at West Sussex hospital trusts
Meanwhile, further deaths linked to coronavirus have taken place at several hospital trusts across Sussex.
Five more patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have died within 28 days of a positive test at the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, according to the latest NHS England data.
They were recorded across last Thursday, Friday and Saturday (January 1-3) at the trust, which runs St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, Worthing Hospital and Southlands Hospital in Shoreham.
A total of 176 patients have died at the trust since the start of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, five further deaths have also been recorded at the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs services in Horsham, Crawley and northern West Sussex - taking the total at that trust to 351.
The victims were among 6,105 deaths recorded across the South East.
In total, 618 deaths have been recorded in West Sussex where people had a positive coronavirus test result for Covid-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test in all settings, including care homes, private homes and in hospices.
Mid Sussex has seen the most with 153 deaths, followed by Horsham with 118, Crawley with 94, Arun with 84, Worthing with 70, Chichester with 68 and Adur with 31.
Here's how many people have tested positive for Covid-19 in West Sussex in the last week (figures in brackets show the rate per 100,000 people).
Arun - 1,167 (725.9)
Crawley - 1,070 (951.9)
Mid Sussex - 912 (603.9)
Horsham - 775 (539)
Worthing - 698 (631.3)
Chichester - 555 (458.2)
Adur - 380 (591)
Here's how many people have tested positive for Covid-19 in West Sussex since the start of the pandemic (figures in brackets show the rate per 100,000 people).
Mid Sussex - 4,374 (2,896.3)
Crawley - 4,050 (3,602.9)
Arun - 4,043 (2,515)
Horsham - 3,384 (2,353.4)
Chichester - 2,621 (2,163.8)
Worthing - 2,600 (2,351.5)
Adur - 1,548 (2,407.4)