HOSPITAL BOSS CALLS FOR SCHOOLS TO CLOSE
‘MORE RESTRICTIONS NEEDED’ TO REDUCE COVID SURGE
THE chief executive of Hull and East Riding’s hospitals has called for schools to close to reduce the local surge in coronavirus.
And Chris Long called for a major tightening of lockdown 2 restrictions, saying only a return to the original lockdown in March would provide enough respite before a vaccine is rolled out.
Last week, Hull became England’s worst affected area as Covid-19 infection rates soared to well above 700 per 100,000 people.
Mr Long, chief executive of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We know that the first range of lockdown, that was pretty total, worked and it did stop the infection rate and I’m afraid we need to be thinking along those lines again before we can start deploying the vaccine to a significant part of the population.”
Asked by Sky News if he believed that should include “closing schools in Hull”, Mr Long replied: “I’m afraid it would have to, and in other parts of the country, too.”
He added: “The actions we take now are the ones that will prevent the spread and this means more restrictions.”
There was another worrying increase in Hull’s seven-day infection rate on Sunday, with it rising to 769.5 cases per 100,000, up from 744.5 on Saturday. A total of 1,999 positive cases were confirmed in Hull since last Sunday. Schools in Hull and the East Riding have been seriously affected by coronavirus, with hundreds of children self-isolating and almost every day, new schools confirming cases among pupils, teachers and staff.
Younger people are known to be most affected by the new surge in coronavirus, although they do not generally suffer significant symptoms or require treatment. However, there are concerns young people are one of the major sources of infection for older generations who are now being hit hardest by the new outbreak which has gripped Hull.
At the end of last week, Mr Long also revealed that Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill were having to revise their plans to cope with the new cases. Originally planning for around 200 to 250 patients, the trust now has a contingency to treat up to 800 people with Covid.
The trust is said to be under increasing pressure, with staff saying the situation is significantly worse than in the spring and summer.
Better treatment and preparation is keeping deaths to a minimum, but more cases are now having to be dealt with at Hull Royal and Castle Hill.
The actions we take now are the ones that will prevent the spread and this means more restrictions
Chris Long