Council reassures residents that coronavirus is not on the rise in the Wakefield district

Wakefield Council has said it wants to reassure residents that coronavirus is not on the rise in the district.
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It comes after reports that the Wakefield district has a higher number of coronavirus cases than other areas and may be at risk of having a locak lockdown imposed.

The council says the reports are based on "a very small percentage of testing data available in the public domain" and when used in isolation provide a "misleading view."

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Anna Hartley, Wakefield’s Director of Public Health, said:“I would like to reassure residents that coronavirus is not on the rise in the Wakefield district.

Wakefield Council has said it wants to reassure residents that coronavirus is not on the rise in the district.Wakefield Council has said it wants to reassure residents that coronavirus is not on the rise in the district.
Wakefield Council has said it wants to reassure residents that coronavirus is not on the rise in the district.

“Recent reports are based on Pillar 1 testing, which is done in NHS labs and hospitals and only represents a fraction of the tests undertaken. The majority of testing is done through Pillar 2, often referred to as community testing.

“Wakefield has had a very low number of positive Pillar 2 tests during the last seven days when compared to other similar areas.

“If you combine the data together from all tests, Wakefield’s infection rate is lower than the Yorkshire and Humber average and only very slightly higher than the England average.

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“Of course, this picture changes constantly, which is why it is essential that residents remain vigilant, stick to social distancing guidelines, continue to wash their hands regularly, wear a face covering whenever social distancing cannot be observed outside the home, get tested, and self-isolate if displaying symptoms and continue to help control the spread of the virus.”

Public Health England are due to publish their figures tomorrow.

Find out more about getting tested here.