‘WE NEED YOUR HELP TO REDUCE SOARING INFECTION RATES IN THE CITY’
Plea comes as Covid-19 cases continue to surge across Stoke-on-trent:
COUNCIL chiefs are asking for residents’ help in preventing Stoke-on-trent being moved to a higher Covid alert level – as the city’s infection rate rises above 100 cases per 100,000 people.
Stoke-on-trent was named as a tier one ‘medium alert’ area under the new system for England, which came into effect yesterday, meaning no new restrictions have been imposed.
But the local coronavirus cases are continuing to mount up, with the city’s weekly infection rate now standing at 106.9 per 100,000 population.
A total of 274 cases were confirmed in Stoke-on-trent in the seven days up to October 10.
Leaders at Stoke-on-trent City Council are now calling on residents to follow hygiene and social distancing guidelines to help bring infections under control.
They point to Cheshire East, which is a tier two ‘high alert’ area where indoor household mixing is now banned, as an example of what might happen in the Potteries if cases continue to rise.
The council is particularly keen on reducing the number of infections which have been linked to people car sharing on their way to work.
Council leader Abi Brown said: “It is a concern to see the increase in cases among the population in Stoke-on-trent.
“We have seen an increase nationally, but clearly our focus is on Stoke-on-trent. That’s why we are continuing to reiterate the message around hands-face-space.
“Residents don’t need to look far to see what might happen if we do go up a tier – the rules in Cheshire East are now much more restrictive.
“I think that, at the moment, tier one is the correct level for Stokeon-trent.
“But it’s a new system, and we’ll have to see how it evolves. Obviously we’ve had experience with the old system, being placed on the watchlist and then becoming one of the few areas to come off the list.
“We believe that most infections in Stoke-on-trent are due to household-to-household transmission.
“We don’t think many people are being infected while they’re actually at work, but things linked to work, such as car sharing, may be a factor.
“We know some people have to car share, so if it can’t be avoided we’re reminding people to stay as safe as possible by ensuring their
vehicle is well ventilated, by car sharing with the same people, and not over-filling a car.”
But Mrs Brown is not in favour of a national, two-week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown during the half-term holidays, which has been proposed by the government’s scientific advisers and
backed by Labour leader Keir Starmer.
She added: “I think it would be a bit of an overreaction for Stokeon-trent. While we are seeing our infection rate increase, it hasn’t gone exponential.
“It’s just been a steady increase in the last few weeks.”