Covid rises at our schools and new outbreaks in care homes

UNDER 20S ACCOUNTING FOR AROUND ONE IN EVERY TWO POSITIVE CASES

600 people under 20 have tested positive for Covid since the start of the month.

Younger people are still making up nearly half of all new coronavirus infections in North East Lincolnshire.

The majority of cases are secondary school-age children, according to the council’s latest epidemiology report.

Vaccination levels are still fairly low in younger age groups.

Around half of 16 to 17 year olds have had at least one Covid jab, along with one in five 12 to 15 year olds.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s weekly epidemiology report states: “Since the return of children to schools at the beginning of September, rates in the youngest age groups rose and for school age children the rates have remained high throughout September and into October.”

There has also been a rise in people over 80 testing positive for Covid due to recent outbreaks in five care homes.

17 new cases have been reported in the week beginning October 11, for a total of 24 this month.

Six care homes are closed and two are partially closed.

The last few weeks have also seen young women test positive for the virus twice as often as men.

Although genders are roughly even in most age groups, the cases are lopsided amongst 21 to 40 year olds.

140 women have tested positive since October 1, compared to 69 men.

Women aged 41 to 60 years are also slightly more likely to test positive.

The borough’s infection rate currently stands at 349 cases per 100,000 residents, up from 277 last year.

This is below the average for both Humberside and England.

As of Wednesday morning, there were 18 patients in Grimsby hospital, with one in ICU.