Covid cases are at the same level as back in February when the virus put 600 Derbyshire and Burton people in hospital – but now there are just 20 patients on wards.

The statistics come as 88.45 per cent of Derbyshire adults have had at least one jab and 70.59 per cent have had both doses.

However, with the jabs appearing to be doing their job in keeping people out of hospital and “protecting the NHS”, local health chiefs have urged us not to be complacent.

There have been more than 400 new Delta variant cases recorded in Derbyshire in a week, while overall infections have doubled in 10 days and hospital inpatient numbers creep up.

The figures were revealed with just over a week until the nation is due to take its final steps out of lockdown and the end of legal regulations for social distancing and face coverings.

The latest data shows there have now been 1,672 confirmed Derbyshire cases of the Delta Covid-19 variant, which is far more transmissible and more likely to cause hospitalisation in unvaccinated people.

This is up 445 cases in the past week, a 36 per cent increase.

Derby and the High Peak have clocked more than 300 incidences of the variant and nearly every area of Derbyshire has now recorded in excess of 100 cases.

Meanwhile, the latest data (to July 6) shows that Derbyshire has recorded more than 2,500 Covid cases in the past week, double the weekly number clocked 10 days before (1,242).

In the first week of June there had been around 200 new cases, a figure which has since increased by a factor of 12.

However, all of this must be contextualised by the number of Covid-19 patients in our hospitals.

There are now 20 Covid-19 patients in our hospitals, up from 15 on Monday and 10 last week.

Royal Derby Hospital staff are treating 14 patients who have the virus, while there are five Covid patients at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and one at Queen’s in Burton.

Of these, two patients with the virus at Royal Derby are in intensive care.

The rate of weekly cases Derbyshire is experiencing has taken the county back to the level it had in early February.

However, a key difference to previous Covid surges is that the number of hospital inpatients is a much smaller proportion when compared with the wave of community infections.

When case levels were the same height which they are now (in early February) there were 646 Covid patients in our hospitals, making the current 20 patients a seismic shift in the county’s pandemic status – almost entirely attributed to vaccination.

While this is hugely positive, our health services are desperately trying to wade through a colossal waiting list backlog.

This was caused by the need to pause almost all services during repeated lockdowns, coupled with patient fears about coming into hospital or other health facilities due to Covid-19.

In short, our hospitals are carrying out more work now, aside from Covid, than they were when cases were this high previously (in February).

Dean Wallace, director of public health for Derbyshire County Council, says that due to this it will not take much of an uptick in Covid activity in our hospitals to present issues.

The advice from local officials is to remain vigilant and to follow basic Covid prevention measures around face masks, social distancing and hand washing – along with suitable ventilation for gatherings.

They urge everyone eligible to get a vaccine to go and get one as soon as possible to protect not only themselves but their families, loved ones and their community.

Here is a breakdown of Delta cases by Derbyshire district up to July 7:

Amber Valley: 148, up from 93

Bolsover: 98, up from 76

Chesterfield: 151, up from 106

Derby: 330, up from 225

Derbyshire Dales: 94, up from 75

Erewash: 175, up from 115

High Peak: 376, up from 323

North East Derbyshire: 157, up from 113

South Derbyshire: 143, up from 101

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