Covid-19 infection rates are "moving rapidly in the wrong direction", Buckinghamshire Council leader Martin Tett has said today - as Tier 3 fears continue. 

Cllr Tett said he "will not hide" the fact that virus infection rate numbers he is seeing daily are increasing and are "worrying" - adding that there is "significant pressure already" on local NHS services. 

It comes amid continued fears the county could be moved into Tier 3 restrictions. 

In his regular update to residents, Cllr Tett said: "I have to tell you that the daily reports that I receive, showing the infection rates over the previous seven days, are indicating a sharp and continuous rise in infection rates across all areas of Buckinghamshire. 

"Rates are also rising amongst the over 60-year olds and the percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 is also rising.

"I have been meeting with our NHS colleagues who also report that they are now experiencing severe pressure.

"I again must be clear that ‘infection rates’ do not necessarily mean serious illness, nor hospital admissions. Nevertheless, taken collectively the situation is worrying.

"As I have said publicly, whilst very many people are following the rules, a significant minority are not.

"I have to stress that despite the vaccine now being available in Buckinghamshire, we still only have limited supplies and it will take many months before even the most vulnerable are vaccinated.

"We have a collective responsibility to each other to help control this horrible virus.

"Today the Government is reviewing the tiers for all parts of England.

"I will not hide that we are at significant risk of moving into Tier 3, with all the impact that will have on our lives and our local and national economy."

The current weekly infection rate per 100,000 people living in the county is 200.6 - up from 113.1 on November 30. 

The infection rate has gone up every day since December 1. 

Meanwhile, 174 new daily cases were reported in Buckinghamshire on December 15, the latest data available. 

This is how the new cases are broken down by area: 

  • Aylesbury Vale - 77 new cases yesterday 
  • Wycombe - 57 new cases yesterday
  • South Bucks - 23 new cases yesterday 
  • Chiltern - 17 new cases yesterday 

In total since the beginning of the pandemic, 9,580 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Buckinghamshire. 

On December 14, 40 suspected Covid-19 cases were triaged via 111, two were triaged via 999 and 53 were suspected via online assessments. 

The number of reported deaths involving Covid-19 has not been updated since the week from November 28 to December 4, in which eight deaths were recorded. 

Up until December 4, 485 people have died with Covid-19 in the county. 

Seventeen of those happened at home, 291 in hospital, 172 in care homes, two in hospices and three died in "other" places. 

You can view Buckinghamshire Council's Covid dashboard here - covid-dashboard.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/?view=cases&location=Buckinghamshire