More than 1,000 students and staff test positive for Covid at Leeds University but big drop in new cases

The university has published its third batch of weekly figures online in what it says is a 'bid to improve transparency' about transmission rates at the university.

The latest figures show that 122 new Covid-19 cases were reported between October 12 and October 18.

Of those, 109 are students and 13 are members of staff.

The figure is down by more than 50 per cent from the previous week, when 269 new cases were recorded.

The university was later informed of an additional 80 cases during this period, bringing last week's total to 349 new cases.

A total of 1,111 people at the University of Leeds have now tested positive for the virus with an estimated 228 active cases as of Sunday October 18.

The university, which is home to 38,000-plus students and 9,200-plus staff, now publishes the figures weekly.

It comes after Leeds MPs sent a letter to the university calling on the institution to be more transparent when it comes to the risk posed by coronavirus to its staff and students, while also calling for an end to face-to-face teaching wherever possible.

There has been a huge surge in cases in the student areas of Leeds over the past few weeks.

The University of Leeds said the health and safety of staff and students is its "absolutely priority" and it is publishing the weekly data to ensure it is "as clear and transparent as possible."

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