R-rate ‘higher than national average’
THE rate of Covid-19 reproduction in Nottingham is higher than the national average, a leading health boss has confirmed.
The R-rate, which measures the rate at which the virus is spreading from person-to-person, stands at between 0.8 and 0.9 in the county.
This means that, for every one case of Covid-19, less than one other person is being infected.
However, the rate is slightly higher than the national average R-rate of between 0.6 and 0.8, with health bosses raising concerns over a “mixed picture” in local infection rates.
Jonathan Gribbin, public health director for Nottinghamshire, said the curve of infections was not “racing downwards” in the way he would like.
“For this week the R rate in Nottinghamshire is estimated at between 0.8 and 0.9,” he told the Post.
“I think that probably reflects that, although rates here overall are moving down, they are not moving down as fast as we saw a fortnight ago.”
He added: “Our case rates are still edging in the right direction, and that’s a cause for hope.
“But they are edging, rather than racing, downwards with the steep decline we would like to see.
“In fact, the rate of decline has slowed up again over the last week and in some areas of the county has flattened off.
“In one or two places it has actually increased.
“If I compare Nottinghamshire to the England average, which stands at 58.3 per 100,000, in the county the rate is 79.1.
“That is a concern for us and represents unfinished business. We’ve got a mixed picture with context with lots of hope and encouragement but where there’s plenty of challenges.”
The Bassetlaw district has the highest infection rate with 111.5 cases per 100,000 people, according to data accurate for the week ending March 14.
On the other end of the scale, Broxtowe’s rate of 56.1 and Rushcliffe’s 66.3 cases per 100,000 are more in line with the national average.
Ashfield’s rate has flattened and remains at around 71, while Mansfield’s is slightly higher at 77.8. Newark and Sherwood’s rate has slowly started to increase, rising from 67.8 to 93.9 per 100,000. Gedling’s rate is currently slightly lower at 87.4 per 100,000 people.