The latest report of Hertfordshire County Council's Covid Impact Monitor has highlighted problems caused by the pandemic.

The monitor provides some key indicators drawn from a basket of measures designed to track the ongoing impact of the virus on county council services and the county as a whole.

A monthly Covid update is presented to the Resources and Performance Cabinet Panel and Cabinet with panel members presented with the details from the eighth Covid Impact Monitor.

The council's head of intelligence, Martin Aust, guided members through the latest statistics.

Mr Aust said there were there were 65,086 confirmed cases of Covid recorded in Hertfordshire as at January 21.

He said: "The number of cases when we last discussed in December this was just over 21,000. Now there are 65,000, so an enormous increase. As of Wednesday (February 10), there were 75,301.

"Covid deaths tragically 1,806, have gone up by a further 470. As of Wednesday (Feb 10) there are 2,076.

"Covid cases per week, 411.8 That number has now come down quite considerably to 207.4 per 100,000."

The figures represent a 31 per cent decrease on the previous seven days which mirrors the 20-40 per cent falls in each district reduction week on week.

He added: "For the first time in many weeks the number of deaths in that week has actually started to go down. 226 last week, prior week was 244. Horrendous but at least it's beginning to turn in the right direction.

However, the news was tempered with the fact Covid has impacted in other ways too.

Data continues to show a sharp increase in the number of mental health referrals in adults.

Latest figures for December show 281 compared with 174 last year, with the same true with children.

"Some of the data is lagging," he explained. "But it would appear those increases are becoming a new norm on the increase in demand on those services.

"Referrals to adult and childrens social care, we are continuing to expect surges delayed by Covid and there are signs looking at the January data, there are increases now coming through in terms of adult mental health referrals."

Domestic abuse and violence measures also show above levels compared to the same time last year.

However, schools and attendance on site in primaries has gone up slightly from the report, to 21 per cent.

Mr Must added: "Secondary school attendance also is a bit higher at 3.8 per cent. We now have a sizeable cohort at school in attendance and a full blended online learning programme."

Councillor Tim Williams asked if the council had the support service in place to deal with mental health issues and well-being concerns.

He said: "Of course home schooling is no doubt causing much stress and anxiety and there are great concerns for mental health, well-being of the children, of the parents and everyone affected by this horrendous pandemic.

"I think there's been some academic reports recently, highlighting its even more so across all the vulnerable groups.

"So has the county council got the mechanism and support particularly in the adult care area, the children's services area, to combat, to minimise the potential enduring mental health and well-being concerns?"

Mr Aust replied: "I know in terms of the public health response, it's a hugely high priority.

"The increase in increasing demand on mental health services has begun to come through both in the national debate and some of our metrics."