Western Daily Press (Saturday)
West Delta variant cases triple in week
G7 host Cornwall sees fastest rise but hospitalisations remain low:
THE number of cases of the Delta variant of coronavirus detected in the South West have more than trebled in a week – but the number of people in hospital remains low.
As of June 9 there had been 563 positive tests for the new variant, first identified in India, in the region.
But the latest figures published by Public Health England yesterday showed that it had increased sharply to 1,710.
In absolute terms Bristol has the most number of cases – 397 up from 158.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (254), the city of Gloucester (118) and South Gloucestershire (119) are the only other places in the West where more than 100 cases have been detected.
Cornwall, which hosted the G7 summit of global leaders saw the fastest increase in the South West, albeit from a low base. The cases increased eightfold from 5 to 42.
A separate Government update yesterday showed the South West’s ‘R’ rate at 1.0 to 1.5 – up from last Friday’s 1.0 to 1.3.
It means, on average, every 10 infected people would pass it on to between 10 and 15 others.
There are four patients with coronavirus at Southmead Hospital, and none at the Bristol Royal Infirmary or Weston General Hospital.
Bristol’s public health director Christina Gray said on Thursday: “In Bristol we’re seeing a high level of Covid-19 cases in our younger age groups and among people who are not vaccinated. Many of the current cases have no symptoms, and rapid testing has been extremely helpful in identifying cases.
“Regular rapid testing is available to everyone in Bristol. Vaccination is vital in protecting yourself and others, and we encourage everyone to take this up as soon as it is offered.
THERE has been a 79% rise in one week in cases of the Delta variant first identified in India, Public Health England (PHE) has said.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said the increase across the UK is being driven by younger age groups, many of whom have now been invited for a vaccination as the jab rollout extends to anyone aged 18 and over.
Hospital cases have also almost doubled, though most of those needing treatment have not had a vaccine.
It came as the Prime Minister said he was “very confident” that the remaining coronavirus restrictions in England will be lifted on July 19.
Speaking at Kirklees College in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Boris Johnson said: “I’m very confident that we’ll be able to go through with step four of the road map on the timetable that I’ve set out with treating July 19, as I’ve said, as a terminus date. I think that’s certainly what the data continues to indicate.”
The PHE data shows that 75,953 confirmed and probable cases of the
Covid-19 Delta variant have now been found in the UK – up by 33,630, or 79%, on the previous week.
Of the 75,953, some 70,856 have been in England, 4,659 in Scotland, 254 in Northern Ireland and 184 in Wales.
The most recent data shows 99% of confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus across the country are the Delta variant.
Dr Harries said: “Cases are rising rapidly across the country and the Delta variant is now dominant. The increase is primarily in younger age groups, a large proportion of which were unvaccinated but are now being invited to receive the vaccine.”
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that around one in 520 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to June 12.
This is up from one in 560 in the previous week and the highest level since the week to April 10.
Meanwhile, 806 people in England have been admitted to hospital with the Delta variant of Covid-19 as of
June 14, a rise of 423 on the previous week, according to PHE data.
Of the 806 admitted, 527 (65%) were unvaccinated, 135 (17%) were more than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine, and 84 (10%) were more than 14 days after their second dose.
As of June 14, there have been 73 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test.
Of this number, 34 (47%) were unvaccinated, 10 (14%) were more than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine and 26 (36%) were more than 14 days after their second dose.
Dr Harries said: “It is encouraging to see that hospitalisations and deaths are not rising at the same rate, but we will continue to monitor it closely.
“The vaccination programme and the care that we are all taking to follow the guidance are continuing to save lives. Please make sure that you come forward to receive both doses of the vaccine as soon as you are eligible. Don’t drop your guard – practice hands, face, space, fresh air at all times.”