By Leah Conway & Tatiana Zaituni –
Kirklees’ infection rate has decreased slightly over the last week but remains high. The public is urged to stay safe and get vaccinated when it’s your turn.
Cases and Hospitalisations
The infection rate in Kirklees has fallen by 1.2 per cent over the last week. However, the infection rate remains among the highest in the country, with 55 people per 100,000 in Kirklees testing positive for COVID-19 compared to the national average of 22 people per 100,000.
The numbers of people with the virus and in local hospitals continue to drop. There were 242 new confirmed positive cases in Kirklees over the last week, a slight decrease from last week’s 243.
This week there were no COVID-19 related deaths in local hospitals.
National Figures
In the last 7 days, there were 16,079 confirmed positive cases nationwide, a further increase of 1,768 from the previous week’s cases. In the last 7 days, there have been 68 COVID-19 related death within 28 days of a positive test, which is down 13 compared to last week.
Remember, you can receive free lateral flow at-home tests. To find out how to get yours click here.
Lockdown
Lockdown restrictions were eased on 29 March. Here’s what rules are currently in place:
Lockdown restrictions easing means that outdoor gatherings of either 6 people or 2 households will be allowed. This includes private gardens.
Outdoor sports facilities will reopen, organised sports can begin again and outdoor parent and child groups will be permitted (up to 15 Parents or guardians)
Restrictions eased this week, which allowed several services to reopen. The following venues and businesses are now able to open:
- All retail.
- Hairdressers, beauty salons and nail bars.
- Public buildings like libraries
- Outdoor hospitality like beer gardens.
- Outdoor attractions like zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas.
- Indoor leisure like swimming pools and gyms.
- Self-contained holiday accommodation like self-catering lets and campsites for household stays only.
The next wave of restrictions easing will be on 17 May. You can find out about the new rules here.
Vaccinations
As of this week, a total of 36,115,955 people have received their first vaccination. Those who have accepted the second dose total is 19,319,010.
Over 212,000 local people in Kirklees have had their first vaccination and over 123,000 have had their second dose. People aged 38 and over are urged to book their vaccination now.
Progress, but the pandemic is not over
Rachel Spencer-Henshall, Strategic Director for Public Health at Kirklees Council, said: “We are showing progress, which is great news, but Kirklees’ infection rate is still one of the highest in the country and it has to come down further and faster than it currently is.
“We are heading in the right direction and there’s so much to look forward to as we move out of restrictions in line with the national roadmap out of lockdown.
“However, we absolutely have to remember that this pandemic is not over. Kirklees’ infection rate is one of the highest in England and, at its current level, presents a risk.
“As more and more restrictions are lifted, we have to make sure our infection rate does not increase and lead to more people being admitted to hospital or losing their lives to Covid-19.
“We’re at a crucial point in the pandemic, and we all have a really important role to play in getting Kirklees through the roadmap out of lockdown safely.”
This week’s COVID-19 News
- The Portuguese government has announced that British tourists are allowed to return from next Monday.
- The Indian COVID-19 variant continues to cause concern as Public Health England reports that cases of it have doubled this week.
- Four people in the UK have died with the new Indian variant of COVID-19. Bradford’s public health chief has also confirmed a case of the Indian Covid-19 variant has been detected in the district this week.
- Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, commended that the 1m social distancing rule could be scrapped if all goes to plan on June 21
- The Com-Cov study is expected to be released in June. It’s researching the impact of having a different jab for the second dose vaccination.
- The government is pushing for second doses of COVID-19 could be brought forward and local restrictions introduced to help tackle the Indian variant in the worst-affected area. Minister Nadhim Zahawi said steps could also include vaccinating younger people in multi-generational households to help tackle the new variant.
