COVID-19 cases in the city remain “very high” and could continue to rise as people return to schools and workplaces, a health boss has said.
In the seven days up to 27 August, the number of new confirmed Covid-19 cases in Brighton and Hove dropped by 23 per cent to 908.
This is equivalent to a weekly rate of 311 per 100,000 people and closer to the rate for England of 313 per 100,000.
But despite the fall in cases, this is still higher than the South East rate of 284 per 100,000.
Alistair Hill, director of public health with Brighton and Hove City Council, said that although this drop in numbers is welcome, cases of Covid in the city are still very high.
He said: “This is welcome news however the number of cases remains high and with many of us coming back from holidays and festivals, and more returning to education and workplace settings, this could lead to more cases in the coming weeks.
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“It does mean that regular testing and all the hygiene habits we learned throughout the pandemic remain so important.
“Regular hand washing, good ventilation, wearing face coverings when required, and making space for each other helped reduce infection during the lockdowns and still serve us well.”
The council is urging people to continue taking Covid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and to book their vaccinations to keep pressure off the city’s hospitals.
Mr Hill said: “The number of patients needing treatment for the effects of COVID-19 in our local hospital remains similar to last week and is lower than the level seen last winter.
“This shows that the vaccination programme is highly effective in reducing the risk of serious illness and hospital admission. It highlights that everyone should take up the vaccine as soon as they are offered it.
“If you’ve fallen out of the habit of testing at home over the summer, now’s the time to get back into the routine of testing twice every week.
“And of course, at the first sign of any Covid symptoms you must stay home, book a PCR test and self-isolate while you wait for the result to make sure.”
Earlier this week, Downing Street confirmed it intends to press on with plans to introduce vaccine passports for nightclubs from the end of September.
The scheme would see members of the public required to show proof of their vaccine status to gain entry to domestic venues and events.
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