These are the latest Covid figures for Wakefield as district prepares for vaccine rollout

The latest figures from NHS England, which cover the seven days up to December 8, reveal that the rate of cases in the district has now fallen to 149.6 per 100,000, down from 485 per 100,000 at the start of November.

This places the rate of cases in Wakefield below the national average for the first time since Thursday, September 24.

These are the areas of Wakefield and the Five Towns where the fewest cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed

A total of 14,390 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the district to date, up from 13,750 at the start of the month.

But Wakefield Council has urged people not to become complacent, and says following guidance around social distancing wearing face masks and limiting travel remains the best way to prevent the spread of the virus.

At least 626 people have died at hospitals run by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust after testing positive for Covid-19 to date, with a further 115 deaths at the district's care homes.

Speaking on Monday, Anna Hartley, Director of Public Health for the Wakefield district, said: “The seriousness of the situation cannot be under-estimated – as sadly there were 34 deaths from Covid-19 last week. These are all incalculable losses to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who have died.

“One of the most important actions people must take is to self-isolate if they have tested positive, have been confirmed as a contact of someone who has tested positive or are in the same household.

"You must also isolate if you have symptoms and are awaiting a test or results. If you do this, you will save lives.”

The district is currently subject to the strictest level of restrictions, known as Tier 3: Very High, in line with the rest of West Yorkshire.

Earlier this week, the city's MP, Conservative Imran Ahmad Khan, called on the government to further outline the plan to ease the most "draconian" of the measures, and allowed businesses and families to return to normal.

It comes as the Wakefield district prepares to receive the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine

Speaking at a meeting earlier this week, Jo Webster, chief operating officer of Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group said staff were "very much in a position" to begin rollout of the vaccine in the week beginning Monday, December 14.

The district's oldest residents and frontline health care workers will be among the first to receive the vaccine, in accordance with national guidelines, before people with underlying health conditions and, eventually, all those over 50.

Speaking at a board meeting Chief operating officer Jo Webster said: "We are very much in a position in Wakefield next week to start making sure our vulnerable populations and our staff get access to this vaccine.

"We're developing plans and putting in place the arrangements we need to make sure the whole system is ready for the opportunity this gives us.

"This is despite the challenge we're still going to have because Covid infections aren't going to go away and it will have a significant impact on our workforce.

"But we'll strive on and make sure we get through as many vaccines that are available."

Meanwhile, the government has confirmed that the mandatory self-isolation period for people who have come into contact with someone carrying the virus will decrease from 14 days to 10 from next week.

Anyone presenting with symptoms of Covid-19 - a new, continuous cough, high temperature or change to their sense of taste or smell - should self-isolate immediately, and book a test as soon as possible.

Tests can be requested via the national system at nhs.uk/coronavirus, or by calling the coronavirus helpline on 119.

Alternatively, tests can be requested via the local system, which is run by Wakefield Council in partnership with Conexus.

The local testing delivery 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, or emailing the person's name and contact details to [email protected] so the booking team can get in touch.