Calderdale is not going to be in lockdown says public health director

Calderdale’s Director of Public Health, Deborah Harkins, has urged people to be careful and spoken about what is going on or is planned to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the borough.

“People need to be concerned and we all have a role to play – but we want to reassure people that partners are working really hard together, we have a really good plan in place and the work that we are doing should really have an impact.

“People are worried I am sure. To put it into perspective we are not going to be going into local lockdown.

“Even on the July date the rate was less than a quarter of the Leicester rate when they went into lockdown.

“We are having conversations about what measures we can put in place to prevent the spread of the virus and prevent the need for lockdown,” she said.

Yesterday it was reported weekly ongoing data published by NHS Digital for July 14 to 20 had placed the borough in the top ten COVID-19 “hot spots” of England’s upper tier authorities.

The council’s own data showed that between July 9 and 15 a figure of 25.2 positive cases per 100,000 of its citizens had been reached.

The UK Digital figures showed this figure had fallen to 19 by yesterday and Ms Harkins was not surprised by the drop, but added further rises and falls would be likely in the weeks and months ahead, with plans in place to meet the challenges.

Calderdale historically had been a low rated area in terms of COVID-19 and is still in the lower 25 per cent nationally but since the end of June, as lockdown has been gradually eased, the rate per 100,000 increased quite significantly, she said.

Cases would increase because more people were in contact with each other and more cases were expected.

“I would say that because of fluctuations, and we do so much more testing now, we are going to find COVID.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the rate goes up again because we have done 66 per cent more tests and we are not an island.

“We know we have to the east and west of us areas that have similar high rates and we know people travel to work, and to visit family and friends, across the borders.

“Finding the cases is good – if we find them, isolate them and get in touch with people who have met them, that’s how we contain it,” she said.

Test and trace data had shown that people who had tested positive in Calderdale had more contact, with people living in larger households or who found it harder to socially distance being particularly affected.

“That’s part of why the rate increased, for example, on one day we had 12 cases, which is a lot for Calderdale, but six lived in the same household,” said Ms Harkins.

The ramping up of testing in Calderdale has undertaken with a mobile testing unit at Todmorden, a satellite service at King Cross, Halifax – not a “walk-up” but used for doing home testing – and a mobile testing unit at Mixenden, Halifax, which will also be moving between there and Illingworth going ahead.

These require tests to be booked but the Government has announced more mobile units are to be rolled out and Calderdale may see these.

Further sites are being planned in any event, in central Halifax and one at Brighouse, said Ms Harkins.

She said the council already tests care home staff and residents every two weeks and has asked Government if it can broaden the remit to allow regular testing of care workers and other groups at higher risk including taxi drivers and shop workers.

As Calderdale was now on the list of areas of concern, the council was also asking Government if it could undertake this testing whether or not people had symptoms.

In booking a test, people who believe they might have symptoms now have the option of a walk-up or drive-up test, or have the test delivered to their home.

Other areas of action include identifying workplaces at higher risk, for example meat processing plants, regularly visiting them and offering both advice and support.

In areas of the borough where there are more cases, currently Park ward and Warley ward in Halifax, the council is working with residents, voluntary organisations, schools, places of worship and so on to give advice on reducing risk, said Ms Harkins.

People are urged to keep taking steps they can undertake themselves to reduce risk.

“What we are asking the public to do is to continue to stay at least two metres from other people outside their households.

“Ultimately when people contact with other people, that is when it is likely to spread,” she said.

Washing hands as often as possible for at least 20 seconds, not touching your face when out and about and following the “catch it, kill it, bin it” guidance for coughs and sneezes are also all still vitally important, she said.

“Face coverings are topical today but I want to go a little bit further and my advice to people in Calderdale is they should wear coverings on public transport and in taxis, in hospitals and any time when indoors with people who are not part of your household.

“Limit contact with other households as much as possible and avoid large gatherings.

“A lot of people don’t get symptoms but if you have got symptoms you really must stay at home and book a test,” said Ms Harkins.