Covid-19 cases rise by 40% with six areas seeing positive tests more than double and surge testing is carried out
Published: 13:51, 04 June 2021
Updated: 13:23, 07 June 2021
Positive Covid-19 tests have more than doubled in six areas of Kent and surge testing is being carried out in three postcode areas.
Overall, the county has seen a 41.3% rise in cases, bringing the total up to 308 and the infection rate to 16.6.
Dartford (156.2%), Medway (144.8%), Folkestone and Hythe (425.0%), Swale (100.0%), Gravesham (100.0%) and Dover (128.6%) have all seen cases more than double on the week ending May 28.
Dartford has the highest infection rate at 36.4 after recording 41 cases in the last week.
Despite the surge in testing in Canterbury following the discovery of positive tests for the Indian variant, cases have dropped by 29.3% in the area.
Maidstone's cases have also dropped by 10.5% despite a mobile testing unit opening up to search for cases of the Indian variant.
The Canterbury postcode areas affected are CT1 and CT2 while in Maidstone it is ME14 1.
In two parts of the county there were no cases of the Indian variant recorded.
Folkestone and Hythe had the largest leap in cases in the last week, jumping from an infection rate of 3.5 last week to 18.6 this week.
Ashford currently has the lowest infection rate at 5.4 with just 7 cases recorded in the last week.
Only two people have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in the last 28 days during May.
The 79% rise in cases of the Indian variant across the UK has caused a stir as early studies imply the variant makes vaccines less effective - though it's still too early to tell.
Number of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in Kent
These studies show those who have had the Pfizer vaccine have lower antibodies targeting Indian variant, which could mean some will have to get another vaccine booster in the autumn.
The vaccine programme is still running smoothly as 97,450 more people were vaccinated on the week ending May 30, bringing the total who are fully vaccinated to 710,941.
Of these, 32,052 were first does and 65,398 were second doses.
Just shy of half (49%) of Kent has been given their first and second dose while 75% have had their first dose.
Folkestone and Hythe maintains the lead with the most people fully vaccinated as 58% of the population have had both doses.
Thanet maintain the lead with the most first doses, with 80% of the population receiving at least one.
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Sophie Bird