NEW COVID VARIANT IS IN OUR AREA
40 PER CENT OF CASES DIAGNOSED IN NORTH EAST LINCOLNSHIRE IN LAST WEEK OF 2020 WERE THE MORE INFECTIOUS STRAIN
THE new coronavirus variant has been officially confirmed in North East Lincolnshire for the first time. According to data in a new report released by North East Lincolnshire Council, 40 per cent of the new cases in the borough in the last week of 2020 were of the more-infectious strain. There were 243 cases between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, meaning 97 people had the new strain of Covid-19.
The report read: “The new variant of Covid-19 which is believed to be more contagious was identified in 40 per cent of positive test samples in North East Lincolnshire in the last week of 2020.”
This follows concerns from Public Health that the new variant could result in case numbers higher than the area’s biggest peak in November 2020. The two-week incubation period means that if that is the case, it’s likely to start showing in figures any time from now.
The rest of the report from the council is bittersweet, as it speaks of how case numbers fell significantly since November, but how the case rate started to rise once again following Christmas.
However, thanks to the lockdown, there are hopes that it will start to drop off once again. The report read: “The infection rate of Covid-19 in North East Lincolnshire has fallen considerably since the middle of November and our rate is now significantly below the national average and the lowest in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
“However, rates have increased significantly since Christmas. The official weekly rate of new Covid-19 infections in the borough up to January 6 was 182 per 100,000, up from 140 per 100,000 the previous week.”
However, more recent figures than those included in the report put the rate back down at 141. There is also positive news about coronavirus cases in care homes, with the number falling substantially since December. Currently five care homes are reporting a total of 11 residents with the virus.
The report also confirmed that the case rate for over-65s fell sharply in December, but has increased once again following Christmas.
The report read: “In North East Lincolnshire analysis of cases confirmed since the beginning of December shows that the majority continue to be in the working age population, with more occurring in women than men. “Our rate of new cases in the more vulnerable over-65s fell substantially from a peak of more than 600 cases per 100,000 in early November to 50 per 100,000 just before Christmas. It has however increased once again and stands at 131 per 100,000 per week.”
The majority of cases continue to be in the working age population, with more occurring in women than men.