Covid rates on the up after switch to ‘Plan A’

CORONAVIRUS infection rates continue to climb in Wokingham, with hundreds of cases reported each day.

On Monday, 300 people tested positive for the virus.

However, it was recorded as 2,021 people due to a change in the way that data is collected.

From Monday, one person who has had two Covid-19 infections now counts as two cases, not one person.

As the England-wide data was reconfigured, this resulted in a large increase in the number of cases reported for Monday, January 31.

This suggests that 1,721 cases in the borough have been reinfections.

This is when someone tests positive for the virus more than 90 days since they last had it.

The latest official estimate suggests that one in 10 cases in England are reinfections, with many reinfections due to the Omicron variant, which is known to be more contagious.

Prior to December 6, around 2% of cases were thought to be reinfections.

Across the UK, the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic jumped from 16.5 million to 17.3 million as part of the reporting change.

On Tuesday, there were 533 new cases in the borough, reflecting the number of daily PCR tests being carried out.

And the weekly infection rate has been climbing since mid-January. It now stands at 1,855.8. This is also the highest in Berkshire.

In neighbouring Bracknell Forest, there were 314 positive cases on Tuesday, with an infection rate of 1,514.9.

In Reading, there were 421 cases, and it’s weekly infection rate is 1,705.8.

In Windsor and Maidenhead, there were 376 positive cases on Tuesday, bringing its infection rate to 1,488.7.

And in Slough, there were 398 new cases, with a rate of infection of 1,532.3.

In West Berkshire, there were 389 cases, with an infection rate of 1,151.

It comes as the Government moved England to “Plan A”, with face masks no longer mandatory in indoor venues.