The imminent end of free Covid testing means it is difficult to predict how Norfolk's current soaring case rates will develop, the county's director of public health has said.

Louise Smith, from Norfolk County Council, said the change - from April 1 - would make the virus more difficult to monitor and contain.

It comes at a time when the county is currently seeing around 1,000 new cases every day, with Covid now at similar levels of prevalence last seen in February.

She said: "It is very difficult to predict what will happen next with recorded Covid-19 cases over the next few days, especially because people are changing how they engage with testing.

"We anticipate a higher proportion of cases will be undetected and not visible in reporting."

From the beginning of next month, people will have to pay if they want to check their Covid status, while free kits are already increasingly difficult to order.

Experts believe this will result in people being more reluctant to take tests, possibly leading to more of them unwittingly spreading the virus.

Dr Smith said it would also mean health bosses having to wait for data from the Office of National Statistics study to be able to get an understanding of what is happening in the community.

Dr Smith said the county is currently experiences similar levels of Covid to early in February, with the rise "an expected consequence of the considerable easing off restrictions in daily life".

But she added: "Along with the rise in cases there are more people in hospital with Covid. Thankfully fewer are needing to be admitted to intensive care.

"For all Norfolk citizens the most important thing is to get vaccinated and boosted when offered."

Dr Smith also urged businesses to encourage workers who are symptomatic or test positive to isolate and work from home if possible.

She said: "We recognise the economic impact on business that must find ways to manage staff sickness, but we would encourage them to continue to risk assess the threat of any infectious or communicable disease in their establishment.

"We strongly advise businesses to support those we are symptomatic and/or test positive to isolate and to ensure they have contingency plans to mitigate the impact of those staff absences.

"Early action prevents wider spread of infection."