Covid deaths, hospitalisations and case rates continue to fall across Dorset

Data released on Friday, March 5, shows the rate per 100,000 people is now well below the England average but it still remains above that in the south west.

Public Health Dorset said: “We have continued to see a fall in local COVID case rates, hospitalisations and deaths over the past week.

• Read more: The 31 Dorset areas with fewer than three Covid cases in latest weekly period

“The situation in Dorset has improved thanks to the hard work of local people following the rules - every action makes a difference. We have seen over the past few months how quickly the situation can change so we must carry on working together to drive transmission down even further.

“We are still in a national lockdown and everyone must continue to follow the rules and stay at home except for essential reasons."

The number of Covid patients in Dorset hospitals has fallen from 147 to 68 which is the lowest number recorded this year.

In the even days to February 27, the case rate per 100,000 people in the BCP area was 63.0 with 249 cases reported.

• Read more: Unpaid carers in Dorset can now access weekly Covid testing

This compares to a rate of 114.0 and 294 cases the previous week.

The average rate in the south west is 46.1 and it is 86.4 in England. 

In the Dorset Council area, the rate fell from 77.7 to 51.3 with cases dropping from 294 to 194.

An interactive graph on the Public Health Dorset website shows how the number of deaths has fallen dramatically with 27 recorded during BCP’s worst day for Covid-related deaths on January 20 with a sharp decline seen since early February.