Telford has second highest Covid rate in England as hospital admissions also rise
Telford now has the second highest Covid rate in England, with the number of patients being treated in Shropshire's hospitals also rising.
New figures for Telford & Wrekin show the current rate of cases per 100,000 people is 1,552 – the second highest of all councils in England.
The rate for Shropshire is also high, but considerably lower than neighbouring Telford & Wrekin at 910.8 per 100,000 people.
The data also shows that there has been a increase in the number of patients being treated in the county's hospitals, from 59 to 66 as of January 26, along with six deaths.
Liz Noakes, Telford and Wrekin's Director for Public Health, said despite excitement about the lifting of restrictions, people should remain cautious.
She said: “More national restrictions being lifted is good news, we are all looking forward to return to normality.
“However, we continue to have very high infection rates in our borough, driven by a high number of cases in children and young people and those in their 30s and 40s.
“While restrictions have been eased, with local infection rates so high, we want to encourage everyone to please continue to take sensible precautions."
Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said: “The number of positive cases has risen very slightly during this time, and the rates remain high across Shropshire. As you can see, there is still pressure on our local hospitals, with 65 people being treated for Covid-19 and six deaths. This pressure is also being seen in our local care sector and schools.
“This week has seen the end of Plan B, which means face coverings are not mandatory on public transport and in shops, Covid-19 passes for large venues are no longer required, and the work from home guidance officially ended last week.
“While the data points towards us having passed the peak of Omicron infections, there is still widespread transmission in Shropshire. From a public health perspective, I would advise the public to remain cautious; and would strongly encourage the continued wearing of face coverings if you are in busy places or enclosed spaces with people you do not usually mix with, or when visiting more vulnerable people.
“The end of Plan B does not mean forgetting about the pandemic. Some measures will remain, like self-isolating for at least five full days if you get a positive PCR test. Living alongside coronavirus in 2022 means understanding and reducing risks, to do our bit to reduce transmission and keep our communities safe.”
For the week ending January 23 in Telford & Wrekin there were 2,814 new Covid-19 cases reported, 292 more than the previous week.
For Shropshire there were 2,964 new Covid-19 cases reported in the week up to January 20 – an increase of five per cent on the previous seven days.
