Slight upturn in Covid cases after promising downturn is halted
A PROMISING downturn in the number of new coronavirus cases in the Ashbourne area looks to have ground to a halt, as the latest data shows a slight increase.
The Ashbourne South ward had seen its numbers halve in seven days by this time last week, but a small increase since then has sent our local infection rate back above where it had been.
Data recorded up to July 28 saw the government publish 24 cases last week, and this has now risen to 27. It puts our rolling rate - measured against a 100,000 population - back up to 362.8. It had previously fallen to 322.5.
A handful of our neighbouring wards have also seen increases, with Mayfield, Rocester & Bramshall seeing 15 new cases added to its tally and Duffield, Quarndon & Kirk Langley seeing 11.
However, the news is not all bad. Other neighbouring wards are seeing cases gradually fall. In the larger, more rural Ashbourne North ward cases fell from 16 to 12 over the last week, which brings its rolling rate back down to 166.3. Other rural neighbouring wards such as Ipstones, Warslow & Hamps Valley and Bakewell South, Youlgreave and Taddington have also seen sustained decreases.
There are now parts of Derbyshire which have even fallen below a rolling rate of 100, including Openwoodgate & Holbrook and Ripley West.
And the Derbyshire Dales as a whole is still currently on a downward trend, although the decline does appear to have slowed.
Following a sharp decrease reported last week, of 117 fewer cases, there were just seven fewer cases across the district by the end of Monday, the most recent data available when the News Telegraph went to press, there were seven fewer cases.
It puts the district’s current number of new infections at 190, with a rolling rate of 262.4.
Compared with other neighbouring districts and boroughs, the Derbyshire Dales is faring well. High Peak, Amber Valley, South Derbyshire and East Staffordshire are all seeing cases increase slowly, but the Staffordshire Moorlands has also seen a slight decline.
Looking at an even wider picture, across Derbyshire as a whole, the county is seeing a slight uptick in cases. Experts surmise this may be the impact of the unlocking of restrictions on July 19 showing through.
Case numbers across Derbyshire had been consistently falling from a record pandemic high in the week to July 18 (5,809), but numbers have now been rising again gradually since the week to July 29 - now standing at 3,233 cases in the week to August 6.
The uptick in cases is minor at this stage, in comparison to July’s record highs, and nationally the rise in Covid infections linked to the unlocking of restrictions is said to be lower than expected.
Chesterfield is the one area of the county not showing a slight uptick in cases, while numbers in the Dales, High Peak and North East Derbyshire are virtually static and have stopped their decline.
Derby appears to be showing one of the sharpest increases in cases, but the city witnessed a much lower peak in cases in July than other areas of the county.
Health officials continue to stress that vaccination is the best line of defence and will ensure services stay open and help to ease pressure on the NHS.
The latest data shows that 89.9 per cent of all adults in Derbyshire have now had a Covid-19 vaccine and 77.91 per cent have had both doses.
Last week, the Government announced that 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds were also now eligible for Covid vaccines.
Magnus Harrison, deputy chief executive at the Derby and Burton hospitals trust, said Derbyshire’s health and care system is “under pressure” with higher than average numbers of patients heading straight to A&E instead of other, appropriate services.
This is putting more pressure on staff and means longer waits for everyone who requires care, he says.