Calderdale ranked as an 'area of concern' with ninth highest Covid-19 infection rate in the country

The list of ‘national areas of concern’ has been published and the borough is on the list as an ‘area of concern’ regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are three levels on the national ‘watch list’: the highest level is ‘Intervention’, then ‘Enhanced Support’, and then ‘Area of Concern’.

The ‘areas of concern’ list is a ‘watch list’ of areas with the highest spread of COVID-19.

In these areas, central Government is supporting councils and other local partner organisations to take additional actions to prevent and manage outbreaks and reduce the spread of the virus to lower levels.

In Calderdale (between July 9 and 15), there are 25.2 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, which means that Calderdale has the ninth highest rate in England for that week.

Councillor Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council, said: “Although Calderdale has had a relatively low number of COVID-19 cases over the course of the pandemic, and has remained in the lowest 25% of local authorities in England, the rate of positive cases has increased in the borough recently.

“The safety of our communities always comes first, and we are working with local partner organisations to prevent and contain coronavirus as set out in Calderdale’s local Outbreak Prevention and Control Plan. As part of this planned approach, we put proactive measures in place and are now stepping these up.

"This is because COVID-19 is still within our communities – and will be for a long time – and as restrictions continue to ease and we come into contact with more people, there is more opportunity for the virus to spread.

“Testing is vital to identify cases of the virus quickly, and to ensure that people who have been in contact with the virus are advised to self-isolate. We have increased the number of tests by more than 60% in Calderdale since the start of July, which is a really positive step forward.

"We currently have testing sites operating in Todmorden and King Cross in Halifax, and recently set up a successful mobile testing unit in Mixenden.

"We are developing other mobile testing sites right across the borough to make it easier for more people get tested. Testing can be done in ways that suit people’s circumstances, including drive-through, walk-up and home delivery. If you have symptoms of the virus it’s extremely important to stay at home and book a test as soon as possible to protect yourself and others.

“We are stepping up our ongoing work with local communities to protect those who are most vulnerable. That includes supporting people in higher-risk jobs and workplaces, as well as schools, nurseries and places of worship; and we regularly test all care home staff and residents, whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19.

“We know that over the last few months, Calderdale’s kind and resilient communities have gone above and beyond to protect each other from COVID-19 and help to save lives. Although lockdown restrictions are gradually being lifted, the virus is still a very real risk in Calderdale, so we still need your help to keep infection rates down.

“By keeping up the great work done so far, we will get through this together.

"We should all continue to keep at least two metres away from people outside our households wherever possible, wash our hands with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching our face and follow the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ guidance to help keep ourselves and others safe.

"Please wear face coverings on public transport, in taxis, and whenever you are indoors with people who are not part of your household or bubble. We should also limit our contact with people outside our household or bubble as much as possible, and especially avoid crowded places and large gatherings.”