'Really promising' fall in Covid rates reported in Wakefield and the Five Towns - but people urged to continue following lockdown restrictions
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In its latest release, Wakefield Council said the "steady drop" in case rates was a good sign.
A total of 21,674 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Wakefield district to date, up from 20,400 at the end of January.
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Hide AdAt least 684 people in the district have died with 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test.
And the rate of cases in the district has now fallen to 180.6 per 100,000 people, down from 199.2 per 100,000 last week.
The fall in rates is a "promising" step, a councillor has said, but people should continue to follow all restrictions and guidelines around social distancing, staying home and isolating if they present with symptoms.
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Hide AdCoun Faith Heptinstall, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, said: “Thanks to all the hard work of people across the district to stay at home as much as possible we are continuing to see a steady drop in rates week on week which is really promising.
"But please don’t let all this hard work go to waste. Our rates still remain high and so it is absolutely crucial we all continue to follow the important guidance and restrictions currently in place.
“It is vital that we all continue to play our part and do everything we can to avoid the infection rate increasing again.
"Although the number of hospital admissions is also beginning to drop, we must continue to do all we can to stop them rising again and risking our local NHS services being overwhelmed.”
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Hide AdThere are currently 178 Covid-19 patients being cared for by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, down from 218 last week.
And at least 943 Covid patients have died while in the care of the Trust, which runs Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals.
Jo Webster, Chief Officer at NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “While infection rates of COVID-19 in the district are slightly reducing, our local health services are still under considerable pressure.
“There are things that we can all do to help the NHS – continue to follow the social distancing guidance, isolate immediately if you develop symptoms and choose the right local service if you need healthcare. If you’re not sure which service to use and it’s not a life-threatening emergency, call NHS111 or visit NHS online.”
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Hide AdThere are currently five Covid testing centres open in the Wakefield district, offering tests to people presenting with symptoms of the virus.
And at least eight vaccination sites are in operation across Wakefield and the Five Towns.
Anna Hartley, Director of Public Health for the Wakefield district, said: “Rates are very steadily declining, as are hospital admissions but both are still high and sadly, there were another 25 deaths from Covid-19 last week. These are all incalculable losses to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who have died.
“We must all take immediate action to protect ourselves and others from the very real threat of Covid-19. Our local health services risk being overwhelmed if we don’t do all we can to limit the spread.
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Hide Ad“We must all play our part, pull together and follow the national restrictions to help slow the spread and save lives.”
Working with partners, Wakefield Council has been actively supporting the businesses and communities affected by the previous outbreaks to limit any spread, as well as working closely with partners and local communities to try and ensure everyone knows the symptoms and how to access testing.
A local testing offer for COVID-19 has opened in Wakefield, to work alongside and to enhance the national programme.
Residents in the district who suspect they have symptoms of the virus can now access tests via a home delivery service but people are urged to try the national system first.
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Hide AdThe local testing service is available from Monday to Friday and bookings for appointments can be made at www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 01924 224497.
Anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms is urged to self-isolate immediately and get a test by accessing local testing or by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119.