Town sends in Covid marshals as cases soar
BUT MAYOR SAYS THERE’S LIGHT AT END OF TUNNEL
COVID marshals are being deployed to Mansfield “hotspots” as the district battles rising coronavirus infection rates.
The number of new cases recorded in the area continues to rise week on week, with another slight increase in the most recent figures.
Numbers for the week ending January 16 show that there were 629 new cases of the virus recorded in seven days – up by 10 from the 619 cases a week earlier.
It puts Mansfield’s active rate per 100,000 people at 575.4 cases
– the highest of any area in Nottinghamshire.
All other areas in the county have seen week-on-week reductions in new cases, though neighbouring Ashfield has the second-highest rate in Nottinghamshire.
And to tackle a continued rise in cases, Mansfield District Council says it has been deploying Covid marshals to areas “of greatest concern” – looking to reduce infection rates significantly.
Two mass asymptomatic community testing sites will also be set up next week – at Oak Tree Leisure Centre and the One Call Stadium – to “drive down transmission” in the district.
Andy Abrahams, Labour mayor for Mansfield, urged residents not to be “complacent” and said there was “light at the end of the tunnel”.
He added: “We continue to work closely with our Public Health partners to understand the data and the possible reasons for any increases in our district.
“We are using this information to deploy our Covid marshals to hotspots and the areas of greatest concern.
“We are also creating a localised campaign to reinforce and refresh the ‘stay at home’ message in these target areas.
“The public can help us by sharing our social media posts widely and within any community groups they are members of.
“With the roll-out of community testing next week and a vaccination centre on its way, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“But we must not be complacent and must continue to follow the national lockdown restrictions as well as the ‘hands, face, space’ guidance in full.
“This will help to drive down rates and protect our loved ones and the NHS.”
Officials at Nottinghamshire County Council say the rise in infections in Mansfield – and the high rates in Ashfield – are caused by community transmission by workingage people.
There are also a number of outbreaks in care homes across the county which are driving rates up, though this is in line with wider data. Dawn Jenkin, consultant in public health for Nottinghamshire, said: “Like all parts of the county, the rates in Mansfield and Ashfield are mainly attributable to community transmission driven largely by the working age population of 18-59 year olds.
“A proportion of the case rates in all parts of Nottinghamshire is also due to an increase in case rates in care homes but again, the proportions are in line with what we are seeing across Nottinghamshire.
“There is only one way to bring those rates down and that is to continue to adhere to all the guidance in full – to observe the hands, face and space rules and work together across the county to stop the spread of Covid-19.”