Hull has the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the country

Hull’s infection rate has reached 558 cases per 100,000 people, after another 1,446 cases were recorded over seven days, but Julia Weldon, Hull’s director of public health, said the figure is "only part of the picture".

“Although we have seen some increased pressure due to Covid at the hospital it is certainly nothing like the situation we had last Autumn when cases were at similar levels and there is now strong evidence that the vaccine is protecting our most vulnerable," she said.

The latest Government figures show 47 people were being treated for Covid-19 by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust on August 3, and that number peaked at 264 on January 26.

The figures also show that over the last week four people have died in Hull within 28 days of testing positive for the virus and 648 have died overall.

So far, 307,897 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in Hull, where 76.6 per cent of the adult population have received one jab and 61.7 per cent have received two.

Ms Weldon added: "I would urge anyone that is aged 18 and over and hasn’t yet been vaccinated to access one of the many sites across the city now available for walk-ups or book an appointment via the national booking system.

“Those aged 16 and 17 are now eligible to visit specific pop-up sites for their first vaccination, please check which sites – all information here Covid-19 vaccine information – Hull Clinical Commissioning Group.

“They should also be able to book appointments through the national booking system in the next few days.

"We still all need to take care of each other and be aware of the risk posed by the virus. I, along with public health colleagues, advise people to continue to wear masks, wash hands regularly, meet outdoors where possible and take lateral flow tests twice a week.

"Evidence is showing that those who are vaccinated are far less ill if they catch Covid and they are less likely to pass it on to someone else and are helping to protect both themselves and our most vulnerable individuals and communities.”

According to the Government figures, Yorkshire and the Humber is the region of the UK with the highest infection rate, as it reached 368.3 cases per 100,000 people after 20,351 people tested positive over seven days.

Dr Kev Smith, deputy Yorkshire and Humber regional director for Public Health England, said: “With cases still high in our region for a range of reasons and despite the rate falling nationally, these figures show why it is important to be aware COVID-19 has not gone away and we need to keep doing everything we can to prevent the spread of this infection.

“People in Yorkshire and Humber have taken extraordinary actions to prevent infection spreading in the last year and a half which has been phenomenal.

"If we all keep taking sensible measures to protect ourselves, our friends and families and particularly the most vulnerable in our communities, we can each play our part in making a positive difference.

“One of the most helpful things we can do this summer is to get vaccinated."