Extra support for district in a bid to stave off lockdown

RISING RATES OF COVID CASES IN BLABY

ACTION is being taken in part of Leicestershire in a bid to stave off a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases.

Blaby district will receive extra support and resources to try to bring down coronavirus rates after it was placed on the government’s watchlist.

Due to rising rates, the Department of Health and Social Care now classes the district, with a population of around 100,000, as an “area of enhanced support”.

It describes such areas as: “At medium/high risk of intervention where there is a more detailed plan, agreed with the national team and with additional resources being provided to support the local team (eg epidemiological expertise, additional mobile testing capacity).”

Earlier this week, Leicestershire County Council’s director of public health Mike Sandys said the district’s infection rate was more than double the national figure.

At 65 cases per 100,000 people, it has quickly moved up the national rankings this week.

Mr Sandys said: “If we weren’t sat here talking about Oadby and

Wigston we’d be having a conversation about Blaby. It is holding steady but there is something about Blaby that is worrying me.

“Cases there are much more centred in the younger age group, predominantly 20 to 29-year-olds, predominantly male. What’s driving that?

“It could be sport on a Saturday afternoon, car share on the way to play a match and on to the pub for a pint.

“Then there’s retail, Fosse Park is Blaby, so on another day I’d be really worried about Blaby but the rate in Oadby and Wigston is double the rate in Blaby. Blaby though is now about level with the city.”

Action taken may include significant additional widespread testing, national support to manage outbreaks, and “detailed engagement with high-risk groups and sectors to help increase the effectiveness of testing and tracing in these areas”.

It’s hoped that upping efforts in Blaby will prevent further restrictions needing to be introduced in the area. Thousands of leaflets were delivered to residents’ homes earlier this week as part of a campaign to bring down Covid rates.

It was announced yesterday lunchtime that Oadby and Wigston has rejoined Leicester in local lockdown because of its rate, which is currently 145.5 cases per 100,000 people.

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