Calderdale COVID-19 infection rates coming down but must be sustained says health chief

The numbers are moving in the right direction, but the borough’s Director of Public Health believes the stabilisation of cases needs to be sustained for a longer period to be sure improvement measures are fully working.

Seven day summary data posted online today by NHS Digital for the period from August 16 to 22 shows Calderdale’s COVID-19 case rate is now 23.8 people per 100,000 of population.

This takes it out of the top ten worst affected authorities – Calderdale along with other parts of West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Greater Manchester was made subject to local restrictions by the Government from July 31 following a spike in cases.

The number is 40 per cent down on the previous period for between August 9 and 15 which showed Calderdale to have a COVID-19 rate of 33.3 per 100,000.

There were 50 new cases between August 16 and 22.

The same period saw a one per cent increase in the number of triages – calls to various NHS lines from people who think they may have symptoms of COVID-19 – with 143 calls made and a triage rate of 68 calls per 100,000 of people.

Late last week Director of Public Health Debs Harkins told members of the council’s Adults, Health and Social Care Board that although figures were lowering the authorities needed to be sure it was a pattern and not a blip in the figures.

Late yesterday she tweeted that it seemed the rate has started to stabilise but warned it needs to be sustained for a longer period to be confident it is a trend.

Government is due to review local restrictions again at the end of this week.

Ms Harkins is one of the four-strong panel – the others are Locala Calderdale operational manager Jan Ghee, Parkinson Lane Primary School, Halifax, headteacher Gugsy Ahmed and the council’s senior school effectiveness officer Lesley Bowyer who will take part in the next COVID-19 question and answer session online which will be about returning to school and childcare.

It will be streamed live on Calderdale Council’s Facebook page, where it is possible to ask questions, and also the council’s YouTube channel from 7pm on Thursday, August 28.