Five parts of the county in top 50 for infection rate
SITUATION IN CITY ‘REALLY WORRYING,’ SAYS PUBLIC HEALTH CHIEF
MOST of Leicestershire is now in the top 50 parts of the country with the worst rates of coronavirus infections.
Latest figures have shown five of the eight council areas that cover the county and the city are heading up the list of 315 local authority areas in England.
The Press Association’s latest report, based on Public Health England figures, shows Leicester at 14th position with an infection rate of 527 cases per 100,000 people.
The table is topped by Kingston upon Hull, with an alarming infection rate of 776.4 per 100,000, far higher than second-placed Oldham, which has 598. The national average is 271.2 cases per 100,000.
Oadby and Wigston borough is at 15th place in the table with a rate of 508.6 cases per 100,000.
The rate in Melton borough is 460.9 cases per 100,000, putting it at 29th place, with Blaby district at 39th at 439.3 cases per 100,000.
North West Leicestershire just makes the top 50, at 49th, with a rate of 420.8 cases per 100,000
Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth and Charnwood are all in the top 100 areas for infection rates.
Leicester City Council’s director of public health, Professor Ivan Browne, described the infection rates in the city as “really worrying”.
He said: “We always knew winter was going to be more difficult and that opportunities for transmission over the winter are always increased because we are indoors and closer.
“If your (infection) figures are not down as low as they need to be it’s very, very easy for people to transmit the virus”
He told BBC Radio Leicester the length of lockdown in Leicester – local measures were imposed at the end of June – meant it was understandable people were getting tired and fatigued and had “maybe just taken their eye off the ball for a little bit”. He added: “The figures show that if we do that for a moment how quickly this virus can spread in our communities.”
Prof Browne said the main problem in the city was still the virus being passed between households.
He said: “It’s amongst those that we love the most. We are seeing it go through households and between households.”
He said a huge amount of the transmission was being caused by friends visiting each other and thinking it was okay to do so. He said: “This is across the city now. It’s not the east of the city, it’s not the students. This is spreading out.”
Prof Browne called on people to stop mixing. He said: “This is not about rules and regulations. It is about doing the right thing and making sure we don’t pass on the virus or put ourselves in the position to get it.”
The government will decide next week how to end the lockdown as scientists warned a tougher tier system is needed until vaccines can drive back the Covid-19 pandemic. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Tuesday that ministers wanted to see a “significant easing” of coronavirus controls when the lockdown in England was lifted, but suggested that tighter controls might be needed in the top Tier 3.
It’s not the east of the city, it’s not the students. This is spreading out
Prof Ivan Browne, pictured