Telford and Wrekin Covid warning after rise in cases

The latest figures for the week ending October 4 show that in Telford and Wrekin there were 96 new cases and one confirmed death.

Of those, four were at care homes, 10 were in educational settings, 16 were students whose homes are in Telford and Wrekin and the remaining 66 were in the community.

The borough council said that 56 of the cases were added to the tally on Sunday after it was revealed that the Government's test and trace system had missed out almost 16,000 cases nationally.

Telford and Wrekin’s rate of infection is still lower than the regional and national averages whose numbers also continue to rise rapidly.

David Sidaway, chief executive at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “The number of confirmed cases we have has now risen for four consecutive weeks.

“We also had the sad news of the first death of a local resident from coronavirus since July.

“With the virus continuing to spread in the borough, we must all play our part to contain the spread to protect each other.

'Work from home if you can'

“Thank you to all who have been following the rules by continuing to wash your hands, keep your distance and wear a face mask.

“The best way to stop the spread of the virus is to reduce the number of people you meet each day at home, outside your home in your leisure time and at work.

“Work from home if you can and if you do meet up, don’t forget – no more than six."

Andy Burford, cabinet member for health and social care, said: “The misplacement of tests nationally has meant that we are now in a worse situation than previously thought.

“If you test positive or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace, you must isolate. If you need support to isolate there is a Government scheme to help you.

“If we all pull together, we will keep businesses open, protect people’s jobs, our loved ones and the more vulnerable members of our society.”