Kirklees residents being treated in hospitals for Covid-19 on the rise

There were 1,094 new positive COVID-19 cases in the borough over the last seven days which is a small drop of four per cent on last week.

However, there were 106 Kirklees residents admitted to local hospitals over the last week, which has increased from 89 last week.

There are currently 200 patients from Kirklees in local hospitals with COVID-19 which is higher than the first peak in spring last year.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths has also increased since last week, with 26 people from Kirklees sadly losing their lives in local hospitals – up from 18 last week.

The latest data shows that in the last seven days 248 per 100,000 people in Kirklees tested positive for COVID-19, compared to the previous week when it was 258 per 100,000 people.

The council is encouraging all critical workers without symptoms to get tested weekly at one of four centres across Kirklees.

As the country is in lockdown and we need to stay at home as much as possible, our four community testing sites are now only open to critical workers.

Anyone in Kirklees who has COVID-19 symptoms still needs to arrange a test by calling 119 or going to www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.

Rachel Spencer-Henshall, Strategic Director for Public Health at Kirklees Council said: “We’ve not seen a great deal of change in COVID-19 infection rates over the last seven days, but we need to see them come down.

“The amount of Kirklees residents being treated for the virus in hospital is very high and has risen again in the last week. Hospital admissions are currently higher than they were during the first peak in spring and are at the same levels we saw in November when infection rates were twice as high as now. Sadly, the amount of COVID-19 related deaths in local hospitals has also increased in the last week, with 26 local people losing their lives.

“It’s clear that our current situation cannot continue. Too many people are still being infected each week, the amount of COVID-19 patients in our hospitals is concerning as well as the number of lives that are being lost. We all need to play our part in changing this urgently.

“By following all the guidance in place, you can help to ease the growing pressure on our health services and save lives. The best thing you can do to protect your family and community is to stay at home. Only leave your home for essential reasons and for exercise and don’t mix with other households. Please remember that the basics – such as hand-washing, social-distancing, wearing a face covering and getting tested if you have symptoms – are still a key way we can reduce infections.

“The vaccine programme has begun its rollout in Kirklees, starting with the most vulnerable and most at risk of infection. Thousands of people are being vaccinated every week. You will be contacted when it’s your turn to have the vaccine. In the meantime, following the guidance will reduce the risk to you and your community.

“I want you to know that we are here to support you. If you’re vulnerable and need support, please visit Kirklees Council’s website or call 0800 4561114.”