Slight dip in number of cases but county braces for likely ‘onslaught’

THE Derbyshire Dales has seen a slight reduction in the number of new coronavirus cases, as the district braces for what the government says will be a “tidal wave” of Omicron infections.

The new variant of concern, identified last month, is predicted to sweep through the population - and although cases in the Ashbourne area remain high, we are far better off than some neighbouring areas.

According to data up to Monday afternoon, the most recent available at the time of going to press, the number of new infections fell slightly week on week in Ashbourne South, Ashbourne North, Mayfield, Rocester & Bramshall, Doveridge, Brailsford & Bradley, Wirksworth, and Bakewell South, Youlgreave and Taddington.

While a few neighbouring wards did see small increases in the last seven days, the Derbyshire Dales rolling rate - measured per 100,000 population - fell from 446.6 to 359 in a week, with 260 cases recorded in the district up to Monday.

By contrast, East Staffordshire’s rolling rate is 503.6, with 609 new cases.

Nationally, the picture has been concerning enough for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call on the NHS to ramp up the booster and vaccination programme to a greater level than at any stage in the pandemic – without warning the NHS.

GP surgeries were inundated with calls and messages on Monday about boosters and jabs, only to have to post that they had received no information from Government and called on people to wait until there was some clarity.

There have also been concerned about how the huge rise in inoculations could happen without the many volunteers required – during lockdown, many were furloughed or had to close businesses so they were able to help out. Not this time.