The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Cumbria jumped by 279 over the weekend, as official figures across the UK were revised up by thousands due to a data error.
Public Health England figures show that 3,903 people had been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19 by 9am today in Cumbria, up from 3,624 the same time on Friday.
The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government’s mass testing programme.
The rate of infection in Cumbria now stands at 781 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the England average of 784.
Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 48,425 over the period to 515,571, following the addition of nearly 16,000 cases that went unreported because of problems in handling an Excel spreadsheet.
PHE said that the error resulted in 15,841 cases between September 25 and October 2 being left out of the reported daily coronavirus cases.
Cumbria’s cases were among the 101,731 recorded across the North West, a figure which rose by 13,447 over the period. Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.
