Hertfordshire's public health chief says he is "concerned" about a rise in coronavirus cases across the county.

At least 1,200 people living in Hertfordshire have tested positive for the virus in June, according to Public Health England figures.

This week in particular, there has been a notable uptake in cases with daily cases into triple figures for the first time since the end of February.

Hertfordshire is nowhere near the case levels that we're seeing in north west England, but the county is recording more cases than areas like Essex, Kent, and Cambridgeshire.

We don't yet know whether any particular age group is responsible for the rise this week in Hertfordshire but those in their 20s tested positive for Covid more than other age group last weekend.

Public health director Jim McManus has said 90 per cent of the county's cases currently are that of the Delta variant.

There have been outbreaks in the county over the last few weeks which have largely been suppressed but the latest data shows the first signs in a long time of a wider spread of cases in Hertfordshire.

In particular, the districts of St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield, and East Hertfordshire have emerged as new hotspots over the last seven days, while there have also been rises in Hertsmere and cases remain higher in Watford and Three Rivers than public health officials would like them to be.

The table below shows the daily cases in your district.

Mr McManus said this afternoon (June 18): "We are concerned about the rise (in Hertfordshire), because we want to keep the numbers of cases as low as possible so we can continue returning to some kind of normality.

"The outbreaks are mixed and in a range of settings across the county including workplaces and households. Some outbreaks are "contained" in that they are within social networks, others have become more dispersed with some community transmission now occurring in various parts of the county. There is no single pattern everywhere.

"The Delta variant now accounts for 90 per cent of new diagnoses, with the Alpha variant becoming gradually smaller in proportion of cases.

"There is still time to curb this rise. People in areas where numbers are rising need to keep doing the basics to limit the spread of Covid-19. This means test regularly, wear a face-covering when required, wash hands regularly, maintain social-distancing and, if meeting people indoors, make sure the venue is well-ventilated."

Watford Observer:

Public Health England (PHE) said today there has been a 79 per cent rise in one week in cases of the Delta variant, first identified in India, in the country, and Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said the increase across the UK is being driven by younger age groups.

In England, 806 people have been admitted to hospital with the Delta variant as of June 14, a rise of 423 on the previous week, according to PHE data.

Of the 806 admitted, 527 (65 per cent) were unvaccinated, 135 (17 per cent) were more than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine, and 84 (10 per cent) were more than 14 days after their second dose.

As of June 14, there have been 73 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test.

Of this number, 34 (47 per cent) were unvaccinated, 10 (14 per cent) were more than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine and 26 (36 per cent) were more than 14 days after their second dose.

Dr Harries said: "It is encouraging to see that hospitalisations and deaths are not rising at the same rate, but we will continue to monitor it closely."

Watford Observer:

The number of Covid patients at Watford General Hospital has dropped to just two, as of June 15. There had been five on June 8. NHS England has not reported any Covid deaths at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust since April 25.

In a plea to Hertfordshire residents, Mr McManus said it is "crucial" everyone gets double vaccinated.

He said: "The rise in cases also raises the risk that a new variant will emerge which reduces vaccine effectiveness yet further. Most people who currently are getting very ill are people who are over 50 and eligible for vaccination, but have had either no doses or only one.

"It is crucial everyone gets double vaccinated. A single dose will offer some protection but two doses are essential."

He added: "It is also absolutely critical to take a test twice-a-week, and self-isolate if you are told to.

"To find out more about tests and the options available, visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/rapidtest."