Shropshire's Covid cases rise as hospitals deal with more patients
Public health officials have warned that the number of Covid patients in the county's hospitals has risen significantly in recent days.
It comes as the number of cases across the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Council areas has seen a major jump over the past few weeks.
The announcement coincides with Wales today dropping a mandatory requirement for mask wearing in shops, as well as self isolation rules.
For Shropshire the number of cases per 100,000 people in Shropshire had risen to 1,054, for the week ending March 17.
The figure means the rate is higher than Telford & Wrekin at 838, Powys, at 370, the West Midlands at 619, and England at 908.
While the number of cases is up, the number of people admitted to Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which deals with the county's Covid patients, has also increased with 80 being looked after in the week up to March 17 – and six people dying in the last week.
The figure had risen from 68 the week before.
It means that the number of beds at SaTH occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 has increased by 78 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 45.
A statement from Shropshire Council's public health team said there has been a "significant rise" across the county.
A spokesman said: "The number of cases increased sharply again last week, with 3,432 new cases reported between March 10 and 17, compared to 2,187 cases reported in the last weekly report.
"This gives a seven-day infection rate of 1054.7 per 100,000 – compared to 619.3 for the West Midlands and 908.6 for England.
"This is up from 672.1 for the last reported week to 10 March. Latest data suggests cases have risen again at 1,098.9 per 100,000, following a peak of 2,009 per 100,000 on January 4.
"Occupancy of hospital beds at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust with Covid-19 patients has increased within the last week with currently 80 beds occupied by Covid-19 on March 22, compared to 68 the week earlier. Unfortunately, we have seen a further six deaths reported in the last seven days across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin."
Confirming the decision to scrap Wales' mask and isolation rules, First Minister, Mark Drakeford said the country could not "go on forever relying on the force of the law" to keep it safe from coronavirus.
He said: "We have tried to find that spot where we recognise and respond to the growing numbers, but keep us on the basic journey where we are living with coronavirus, but not on the emergency basis that we needed for the last two years."
The masks will still be required to visit health settings.
PCR tests are no longer available on the NHS in Wales but Lateral Flow Tests are still available until June.
In England free lateral flow tests end on March 31.
