Appeal to 'work together' as coronavirus cases rise significantly across Shropshire
The medical director of Shropshire's major hospitals has stressed the need to work together, as latest figures show a significant rise in coronavirus cases across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
Latest figures show Telford & Wrekin had 366.4 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending November 12 – the early part of the second national lockdown.
It was up 53.9 from the previous week, while the figure also jumped 43.9 in Shropshire where the rate stood at 249.7.
It comes as further Covid related deaths have also been announced in the county.
Dr Arne Rose, medical director at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, says although there is promising news that a coronavirus vaccine could be on the horizon, it is important to remember there is still a way to go.
He said: "We all hope the lockdown will end in two weeks’ time, as has been indicated.
"But only by working together to slow down the spread of the virus will we be able to go back to our ‘new normal’.
"We are all only too aware that Christmas is just around the corner, and we all want it to be as normal and as happy as possible, which is why we must take this virus, and the measures to curb it, seriously."
The latest statistics from the Office for National (ONS) show the number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus in the West Midlands are also on the rise.
The region had 181 deaths involving Covid-19 registered in the week ending November 6, up from 110 the previous week and 80 the week before that.
One further death of a Covid patient at a Shropshire health trust was announced yesterday by NHS England.
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The patient was being cared for by SaTH, where 208 people have now died after testing positive.
There have been a further 15 deaths at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and five at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital near Oswestry.
A further two people have died in Shropshire care homes, taking the total including Telford &Wrekin to 173, latest figures show.
New figures from the ONS also show that there were no care home deaths reported in Telford & Wrekin in the week up to November 13.
The figures show 122 have died in care homes in the Shropshire Council area, and 51 in Telford & Wrekin.
The figures cover the period from April 10 to November 13.
So far 100 people have died in Powys with the virus according to the ONS.
