‘Next ten days could be some of worst in public health for a generation’
CALL FOR RESIDENTS TO FOLLOW GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE
EAST Riding Council’s public health lead has warned the county faces some of its toughest days yet with coronavirus and called for the “spirit of March” to return for lockdown.
East Riding Council’s s public health director r Andy Kingdom said the e next ten days would likely y be the worst in his field for or “a generation” as infection n rates continue to climb.
The director added while e the county was doing bettter than around 300 other er local authority areas, spikes es in neighbouring North th Yorkshire could yet spill ill over into the East Riding.
Mr Kingdom also said d new variants of coronavivirus did not appear to be more dangerous, but were re more contagious and called ll d residents to redouble efforts following government guidance.
Mr Kingdom said: “The worry now is that we only need to see a slight move up in the figures to tip hospitals over into a very difficult position, that’s what’s happening in the south.
“The next ten days will be really bad nationally, they’ll be some of the worst in public health for a generation and things will get worse before they get better.
“I’m expecting case numbers to continue rising before plateauing and falling away as we see the effects of the lockdown, but people need to buy into it for it to work.”
The director said the current vaccination rollout was a “ray of sunshine”, but warned the “massive
on on
exercise” i would ld take t k ti time and d urged d residents to be patient.
He said: “I know NHS staff are pulling out all the stops on this and it is going to ramp up.
“We don’t have mass vaccination sites set up yet, but in the East Riding one big centre wouldn’t really be suitable, we need to get it out to Bridlington, Hornsea and the like.
“I was at Beverley Racecourse getting my mother-in-law vaccinated and it was full of happy older people, it was very positive.
“The numbers aren’t out yet, but it’s looking as though our area is doing really well on the rollout, but there isn’t enough to vaccinate all vulnerable people now, I wish there was.”
Mr
Kingdom said although a surge in infections feared following Christmas and new year had not materialised, numbers were still rising and new strains presented a challenge.
He said: “When you hear ‘mutant strain’ it sounds like something from a zombie apocalypse, but viruses mutate constantly as they replicate themselves, so we were expecting it.
“The problem with the new strains is they’re sticker on cells and easier to catch, so if you were quite likely to get the virus you’re now more likely.
“There’s been some work done in Texas this week which shows the Pfizer vaccine at least still works on the new strains.
“They also emerged before people started getting jabs, so it should still be effective in the majority of cases,
if not then we can adapt the vaccine but we are watching the situation.”
Mr Kingdom said the next ten days would be “crucial” for getting the virus back under control.
The director said: “I think things will get better as we get closer to April, more people will be vaccinated, the weather will be warmer and people will be meeting outside more.
“Those conditions make it harder for the virus to survive, but now I want people to treat this lockdown more like March’s than November’s.
“If I could I’d take people into our hospitals and care homes so they can see the kind of pressure they’re under.
“People should look back in years to come and ask themselves: what did I do during this?”