THE director of public health has urged residents to test regularly as the number of positive cases in the city rise.

In the seven days up to October 8, the number of confirmed new Covid-19 cases in Brighton and Hove rose by 10.3 per cent to 730.

This is equivalent to a weekly rate of 250.2 per 100,000 residents and lower than the rate for England of 366.8 per 100,000 people and the South East rate of 350 per 100,000.

Alistair Hill, director of public health at Brighton and Hove City Council urged residents to test get tested to avoid spreading the virus further.

He said: "Overall rates continue to fluctuate. After a small drop last week, positive Covid-19 cases have risen again in the last seven days.

“The Brighton and Hove rate is lower than the South East and England rates. Similar to other areas, our local rate is highest within secondary school aged children.

“Covid is still around and there are still many people with virus but no symptoms. I’d encourage you all to keep testing regularly so that if you have Covid you can find out quickly and isolate so you don’t spread it to friends, family and colleagues.”

It comes as staff at GP surgeries have said they face “daily and relentless” abuse from patients angered by the increase in remote appointments.

GPs reacted with fury to Government plans to name and shame them over access to care, as the Health Secretary failed to address the profession at its annual conference.

The head of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) said medics had recently come under attack from some politicians and sections of the media, which he branded “abuse”, adding it was ” demoralising and indefensible”.

England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, also told delegates attending the RCGP conference in Liverpool that the topic of face-to-face appointments had “got rather more heat than it needs”, although he suggested there could be more in-person consultations.

However, he urged GPs to effectively ignore negative press, saying: “I would stick to the advice that is an old saying but it’s completely right, which is never worry about criticism from somebody you wouldn’t take advice from.”