Sunderland infection rate is slowing but death toll should be a 'stark reminder' to follow rules health boss says

The South Tyneside and Sunderland hospital trust has seen 38 virus-related deaths this month, more than the previous four months combined.

And the city’s case count has now topped 6,000, almost double the 3,276 recorded on September 30.

Sunderland is currently on tier 2 of the Government’s three-tier restriction scheme, with speculation a continued rise in case numbers would make a move to tier 3 inevitable.

Local council leaders have urged the Government not do so but the number of cases across the region has continued to rise during October – and with it, the number of new deaths.

Director of Public Health for Sunderland Gillian Gibson said the continuing increase in both cases and fatalities meant there was no room for complacency: “These figures act as a stark reminder of why it is vital for us all to keep on following the rules in place to keep us safe,” she said.

“Each and every one of these deaths is a tragic loss and we each have a duty to do everything we can to prevent more families facing the devastating loss of their loved ones.

“So it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to follow the rules especially now that we’re heading into the flu season.

"That means continuing to follow the really basic precautions that we’ve all been doing since March - staying two metres apart where possible, washing our hands for 20 seconds more often and wearing a face covering in public spaces.“It also means not meeting up with family and friends, other than your immediate household or support bubble, inside your home or any other indoor setting, no matter how hard that may be.

“We have started to see the rate of Covid infections starting to slow down - that’s down to the efforts of each and every one of our residents and I’d like to thank everyone for their efforts so far and to ask them to carry on doing their bit to protect each other and our communities.”

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