THE current risk of a second peak of Covid-19 is currently considered “low” in Dorset, health officials have said.

Public Health Dorset said within the BCP Council and Dorset Council areas, there is a “low number of cases compared with many other areas in England.”

The county is currently seeing just over one case per 100,000 of the population, the health watchdog said.

Between July 24 and July 30, there were 1.8 cases per 100,000 of the population in the BCP Council area and 1.3 in the Dorset Council area.

This compares to 4.5 in the south west and nine in England.

Rachel Partridge, Assistant Director of Public Health Dorset, said: “The good news is in the past week we have seen very low infection rates across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Dorset.

“We’re seeing just over one case per 100,000 population, which is very low compared to the south west region figure of four and a half cases per 100,000 and the national figure which is nine per 100,000.

“And broadly speaking this means about one positive case per day across our region. This is really great news. However, as we have seen in other areas of the country, for example Aberdeen and Greater Manchester, Covid-19 is still very much present, and we need to continue work to prevent and mitigate its spread."

According to latest figures released by Public Health Dorset, two cases were confirmed in the BCP Council area between July 28 and August 3.

A total of six cases were confirmed in the Dorset Council area during the same period.

Latest figures released by the government show 845 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the BCP Council area since the start of the pandemic up until Monday, August 10 with 625 cases in the Dorset Council area.

Public Health Dorset said there are a "very small number of care homes" with positive Covid-19 cases in the county.

It said: "These are being monitored closely and are all currently under control.

“A local care home visiting policy has been developed. The current assessment is that due to the low number of cases and transmission in the area, it is safe for care homes in Dorset to resume visits providing national guidance is adhered to.”

On schools, Public Health Dorset said: “The national estimate of R is below 1, and current advice is that it is safe for schools to return as long as the guidance is followed to maintain social distancing and hygiene.”