LATEST NHS Test and Trace figures show that a total of 18,050 new cases of Coronavirus were recorded in England in the week to April 14

The figures are a drop since last week and the lowest number since the week of September 2, 2020.

Covid-19, which was the biggest killer in England and Wales from November to February, is now no longer the leading cause of death.

Cumbria continued to have a low number of Coronavirus infections in the week ending April 16 with just 75 new cases recorded.

The county's overall infection rate of 15 per 100,000 people put the county below both regional and national averages.

Just four new cases were recorded in Eden by the Government at their latest count yesterday. Carlisle recorded nine new cases and Copeland seven but Allerdale saw 16.

There were no new outbreaks in Cumbria's care homes for the second week in a row, county council has said. Data to 15 April showed 279, 200 people had received their first vaccine dose, 67 per cent of those eligible.

Colin Cox, Cumbria’s Director of Public Health, said: “The infection rate continues to be low and that’s really positive. It has also been great to see life returning to something closer to normal over the past few weeks as restrictions have eased and the weather improved.

“Of course, I am still urging people to remain cautious, follow the current rules and stay safe. The Government is right that we have to take these next steps carefully. For instance, being vaccinated doesn’t mean you can’t catch covid or can’t be infectious – so you could still spread it even though personally you are far less likely to become ill. That’s why continuing with the masks, hand washing and social distancing is important.

“While we are thankfully in a much stronger position now, the scenes currently unfolding in India are a sobering reminder that covid still has the potential to cause huge damage and disruption if we let our guard down too soon.”

A sharp increase in South Lakeland has been largely accounted for by a single outbreak which is being managed and contained. The director of public health has been previously quoted saying that due to the low case numbers, an individual outbreak can make a large difference to the infection rates.