Watford’s mayor has urged people to “work together and support each other” after a rise in coronavirus cases in the town.

Like the rest of the country, Watford has experienced a jump in Covid-19 cases – and the town’s mayor Peter Taylor says case numbers are “not where the council wants them to be”.

Figures updated on the government’s coronavirus dashboard on Tuesday show at least 71 people living in Watford have tested positive for Covid-19 since September 25.

The town’s rate of cases in the seven days to October 3 is 59.0 (57 cases per 100,000 population) – the highest rate in Watford since lockdown restrictions were eased.

This is lower than St Albans’ rate of 63.3 and Hertsmere’s rate of 91.5 – and far lower than rates of more than 400 in Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, and Newcastle.

Read more: Soaring Covid-19 rate in Hertsmere 'may have been skewed by university students'

But Mr Taylor stressed “now is not the time to be complacent”, urging everyone to “play their part” to bring the case numbers down.

He said: “Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic I have kept a very close eye on the cases in Watford.

“One thing we have learned in recent months is that working with our community is the best way to tackle outbreaks and keep our town as safe and healthy as possible.

“Like the rest of the UK, we have seen an increase in case numbers over the last week. Whilst the numbers are not where we want them to be, Watford is seeing a similar rise to the rest of the south of Hertfordshire.

“Unlike other areas, though, Watford cases are in households of a mix of ages, not mainly in the 17-24 age range. We don’t have outbreaks in particular workplaces or events, which is good news but this can make it harder to control the spread of the virus so it does mean everyone needs to play their part.”

A government map shows cases have cropped up all over the town – with single figure cases between September 26 and October 2 in the likes of West Watford, Cassiobury, Central Watford, and Garston.

Watford Observer:

Areas in white are where less than 2 cases were recorded between Sept 26 and Oct 2 (Leggatts, Nascot Wood, Bushey North) Darker blue is more than 9 cases

Mr Taylor continued: “Locally, our environmental health team is doing a great job in contact tracing and helping businesses remain Covid-secure.

“But I must stress now is not the time to be complacent; if we want to avoid tougher lockdown measures, as we have seen elsewhere in the country, we must all continue to follow guidance on staying safe.

“Even if you think that Covid-19 won’t affect you personally, we have all seen the impact that the first lockdown had on our health services.

“Increasing case rates mean delays and changes to provision across many public services; women having to give birth alone, not being able to see relatives in care homes for months, or not getting a cancer diagnosis.

“The only way we can get through this is if we work together, support each other and do what’s best for our community.”

Figures on the government website show Covid-19 hospital admissions in the east of England – a population of more than six million - have more than doubled in a week.

There are currently 115 Covid-19 patients in hospitals in the east – up from 50 on September 26 - as of 4pm on October 6.

Twelve of these 115 patients are currently on a ventilator, the government figures show.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust most recently reported deaths where patients had tested positive for Covid-19 on September 30 and October 1.