Area’s case rate almost doubles
NORTH East Lincolnshire’s coronavirus case rate is nearly twice as high as it was at the start of 2021. The latest number of confirmed cases give cause for concern about the sudden spread as the country endures its third lockdown. Some 89 new coronavirus cases were announced in the area yesterday. Fifty-one of these were in North East Lincolnshire, taking the total to 6,361.
Another 38 were confirmed in North Lincolnshire, where there have been 6,477 overall.
The long-term trend can be seen in the change of case rate.
On January 1, North East Lincolnshire’s stood at 95 cases per 100,000 people, according to NHS data. A week later, it has jumped to 176 - one of the fastest growths seen at any point of the pandemic. (This is based on the seven most recent days that accurate figures are available for.) North Lincolnshire has seen a similar growth. It began the year at 148 per 100,000, and has now risen to 222 per 100,000. Despite this, the areas are still the third and fifth best local authorities in England, showing how much cases have escalated in other parts of the country.
The worst-hit areas of London has soared to above 1400 per 100,000. Public health officials have predicted that northern Lincolnshire is in a “good position” as the lockdown begins.
Its geographically-isolated position means there is often a lag before cases spreads from other parts of the country. However, the lockdown has been introduced before this can happen.
The ramp-up of the vaccination programme also offers protection for the area’s most vulnerable people. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is now being distributed in northern Lincolnshire.
It doesn’t have the same storage requirements as the Pfizer vaccine, meaning it is easier to access small and remote communities.
The figures come as four more hospital deaths due to coronavirus were confirmed yesterday by Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.
One of the newly-reported deaths happened on Tuesday, January 5, and three happened on Wednesday, January 6. This takes the number of Covid hospital deaths in North Lincolnshire to 343 since the pandemic began last March. Thirteen of the deaths have happened so far this month. However, the number of patients currently being treated in local hospital for Covid has fallen to 84, from 89 on Wednesday. Thirty-six are at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, with two in ICU. Another 47 are in Scunthorpe General Hospital, of which five are in intensive care, and another patient is in Goole hospital.