Covid rates drop again

THE RATE of infections in Wokingham per 100,000 has dropped slightly.

The latest figures for the borough showed the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents is 18.7, down from 23.4 last week.

This is slightly lower than the national rate of infection, which is currently 22.6 per 100,000 people.

There were two positive tests recorded on Tuesday, May 4, bringing the total number of infections to 8,258.

The figures in neighbouring Reading borough are higher than in Wokingham, with an infection rate of 21.6, down from 28.4 last week.

On Tuesday, Reading reported nine new positive cases.

Bracknell Forest has seen its rate per 100,000 increase over the past seven days. It is now 20.4, up from 16.3 last week. On Tuesday there were three new cases.

Windsor and Maidenhead had four cases reported that day, and its rate per 100,000 is now 25.1, down from 30.4 last week.

West Berkshire recorded two positive cases, and its infection rate is 25.9, up from 15.1 last week.

Slough remains the highest in Berkshire, and its rate per 100,000 is 47.5, down from 63.5 last week. It also recorded seven covid cases on Tuesday.

Nationally, 34,667,904 people have been given their first dose of a vaccine in the UK. And 15,630,007 people have had their second dose.

In England, this is 29,025,049 first doses and 13,072,543 second doses.

On Tuesday, there were four recorded deaths in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test.

And there 160 patients admitted to hospital with the virus.

The government has announced plans to invest £29.3 million to expand the Vaccines Taskforce in Public Health England’s new facilities at Porton Down. This will allow it assess the effectiveness of existing and new vaccines against variants of concern.

This will allow it to test 3,000 blood samples a week, so that variants of the virus can be detected and vaccines created for it. Booster jabs can then be offered from the research.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are committed to supporting the UK’s flourishing lifesciences industry and this announcement is yet another critical way we will build back better to protect the country over the coming months and years.”