Coronavirus in Berkshire round up

ALMOST all areas in Berkshire have an infection rate lower than 50, according to the latest figures for the past 24 hours.

Public Health England has recorded the latest cases numbers and rates for each area across the county. Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, West Berkshire, and Windsor and Maidenhead all are reporting Covid-19 seven-day infection rates of less than 50.

It comes as the health body has reported 40 lab-confirmed cases across Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, West Berkshire, Slough, and Windsor and Maidenhead in the past 24 hours.

These figures, correct as of Monday, March 8, at 4pm, bring the county's lab-confirmed positive Covid-19 tests total to 54,264 according to Public Health England.

The local breakdown for the past 24 hours as follows:

Reading - 2 cases, 10,555 total
Bracknell - 5 cases, 6,851 total
Wokingham - 8 cases, 7,923 total
West Berkshire - 2 cases, 6,135 total
Slough - 13 cases, 14,721 total
Windsor and Maidenhead - 10 cases, 8,079 total

There have now been 4,223,232 people across the UK who have tested positive for Covid-19 - a daily increase of 4,712 cases across the country.

The latest seven-day rate per 100,000 people locally are as follows:

Reading - 46.4 (Compared to 139.1 on Feb 15)
Bracknell - 35.9 (Compared to 141.2 on Feb 15)
Wokingham - 43.8 (Compared to 92.9 on Feb 15)
West Berkshire - 39.8 (Compared to 124.3 on Feb 15)
Slough - 88.9 (Compared to 246.8 on Feb 15)
Windsor and Maidenhead - 40.9 (Compared to 107 on Feb 15)

In today's national coronavirus news:

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that recruitment of staff was "really crucial for the wellbeing of nurses", when asked about the 1% NHS pay rise proposal.

He told a Downing Street briefing: "On your point about nurses, I would stress, first of all, the gratitude that I think everybody feels towards the nursing profession and all health and social care workers.

"One of the most important things that nurses tell me they want to see is more nurses to help them on the wards, to help them cope with the pandemic and everything else.

"There are 10,000 more now this year than there were last year and that's a good thing. There's also a big increase in recruitment, by the way, I think it's up something like 36%.

"I understand, of course that the whole sector has been under massive pressure and that's why we are investing colossally on top of the £140 billion annually that we give to the NHS, an extra £62 billion to support the NHS.

"And above all to help boost that recruitment drive that I think is really crucial for the wellbeing of nurses across the country, in addition of course to the 12.8% pay increase that they got (in) the most recent round."