Coronavirus Doncaster: Update
Introduction
Hi I’m Dr Rupert Suckling, Director of Public Health in Doncaster.
This week we continue to see our infections rate fall slowly from a high over the last two weeks of over 140 per 100,000 down to 84.6 per 100,000 for the period 30th March – 5th April.
As you may have seen, Doncaster along with a number of it’s neighbours – Barnsley, Rotherham and Wakefield have had one of the highest rates in the country over recent weeks.
This is in part due to the success of the lockdown in December and January where the percentage of cases we saw in Doncaster of the Kent variant were in the order of 10-20%. However since March and the easing of restrictions we have now seen almost all of our cases in Doncaster become the Covid variant. As you’re aware the Kent variant is much more infectious though fortunately doesn’t appear to cause more serious disease.
The fact that rates are falling is good, but it’s obviously not so good that we are in the national spotlight so I would ask you to redouble your efforts to try and reduce our rates further.
I’m pleased to say though that the rates and impact of Covid on our hospitals have put us in a position where we can move into Step 2 of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown which starts today, on April 12.
There is a range of re-openings and easements for England. These include all retail reopening; personal care can reopen, outdoor hospitality venues and indoor leisure and sports facilities for individuals, households or bubbles.
You can find out more on the Government’s website.
It is still critical that we continue to follow the basics – hands, face and space – to ensure that our return to these missed activities are as safe as possible and do not cause a spike in our infection rates that we will regret. It is as vital as ever that we are sensible, adhere to the guidance and not jeopardise our health and those of others. I have written to businesses this week to remind them of the guidance and to encourage a safe return which you have a big part to play in too.
Next week also sees the return to education for our young people following the Easter holidays. As mentioned last week, we are still seeing a prevalence of infection in our younger age group so please support young people and children to follow the guidance. I have also written to parents and carers via schools reemphasising the guidance. Testing is important in secondary age school children is important to identify those without symptoms so they can isolate helping to break to chain of infection, so please do support this.
Regular twice weekly testing is now available nationally in England to test at home or in the workplace. You can find out how to access these on our website.
You may have seen in the news the latest advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine and people under the age of 30 who will be offered other vaccines – it a sensible precaution. Vaccinations are an important tool in our COVID toolkit, so I would encourage everyone to come forward to be vaccinated when you are invited.
We still have some work to do to get our infection rates down so please as we enter into the next steps, follow the guidance and consider the risks.
Thank you and let’s keep doing it for Doncaster.
Dr Rupert Suckling
Director of Public Health
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Changes to Covid-19 Restrictions from the 12th April
Some of the Covid-19 restrictions on what you can and cannot do will change from today:
- Non-essential retail will be able to reopen
- Personal care premises such as hairdressers and nail salons will be able to reopen
- Public buildings such as libraries and community centres will be able to reopen
- Outdoor hospitality venues will be able to reopen, with table service only
- Most outdoor attractions including zoos, theme parks, and drive-in performances (such as cinemas and concerts) will be able to reopen
- Some smaller outdoor events such as fetes, literary fairs, and fairgrounds will be able to take place
- Indoor leisure and sports facilities will be able to reopen for individual exercise, or exercise with your household or support bubble
- All childcare and supervised activities will be allowed indoors (as well as outdoors) for all children. Parent and child groups can take place indoors (as well as outdoors) for up to 15 people (children under 5 will not be counted in this number)
- Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies, wakes and other commemorative events will be able to take place for up to 15 people (anyone working is not included in this limit), including in indoor venues that are permitted to open or where an exemption applies. Wedding receptions can also take place for up to 15 people, but must take place outdoors, not including private gardens
- Self-contained accommodation will be able to open for overnight stays in England with your household or support bubble you should continue to minimise the amount that you travel where possible
- Care home residents will be able to nominate two named individuals for regular indoor visits (following a rapid lateral flow test)
You can read the Government's ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’ for more information on how COVID-19 restrictions will be eased in England.
Back to School
As children and young people return back to school and college, it is imperative that we continue to follow the guidance to keep safe and well in classrooms. This includes washing hands, wearing face coverings (where appropriate), keeping a distance where possible and rapid Covid-19 Testing for students in secondary school and college:
Secondary school and college students are offered testing twice a week. Primary school children are not regularly asymptomatically tested due to low levels of transmission between younger aged children but will continue to need to come forward for tests if they have symptoms.
With about a third of individuals with coronavirus showing no symptoms and potentially spreading it without knowing- targeted, regular testing will mean more positive cases within households are found and prevented from entering schools and colleges. Testing is an additional tool, working in conjunction with other protective measures that are in place in schools to help protect staff and students including social distancing, handwashing and face covering.
When picking up your child from school, please ensure that only one parent or carer goes to collect the child to ensure that social distancing can remain in place.
Please make sure that you wear a mask and social distance from other parents and carers whilst you are waiting to collect your child. Once you have collected your child, please do not stay around the school premises as this will likely cause gatherings to form. We are also asking that parents and carers do not use car shares in order to drop off/ pick up their children from school. .
More information about being safe when returning back to school can be found via Doncaster Council's 'Support for Parents and Carers' webpage.
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Vaccination Update
Are you eligible for a Covid-19 vaccination in Doncaster but haven’t yet been invited? Check if you’re currently eligible and then please send your:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Contact details
- Name of your GP surgery
To donccg.urgent-care@nhs.net You will only receive a response from us and the opportunity to book an appointment if you are currently eligible, so please explain why you think you should be getting the vaccine now.
If you’ve recently moved house or changed contact numbers and forgotten to tell your Doncaster GP, please let them know by sending your details:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Name of your GP surgery
- NHS Number (You can find it here)
To donccg.urgent-care@nhs.net Please be assured these details will only be passed to your GP for their records.
You can find the more information on the latest advice for the AstraZeneca vaccine via the Government Website.
Elections on Thursday 6 May
Although some coronavirus restrictions remain in place, Elections are taking place in May. Residents will have the opportunity to elect a Mayor of Doncaster, local ward councillors and a Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire. Some areas will also vote for town or parish councillors.
If you are not yet registered to vote you can do so here (before 19 April) and it will only take a few minutes.
The council is putting in extra precautions to help keep everyone safe during this election and all polling stations will be covid secure. However if you would prefer to use a postal vote, rather than vote at a polling station, then please call 0800 180 4604 or email electoralservices@doncaster.gov.uk by 5pm on 20 April. You can also apply at the Electoral Commission
You can also vote by proxy – where you can ask somebody else to vote on your behalf. To request an application form please call 0800 180 4604 or email electoralservices@doncaster.gov.uk You must return your completed proxy application form by 5pm on 27 April.
The details of candidates standing for the elections are now available to view at Statement of Persons Nominated
For more information on the elections in Doncaster please visit Upcoming Elections
Mobile Testing Unit
Here is where Doncaster's Mobile Testing Unit will be this week:
Litter Reminder
If you are planning on visiting any of Doncaster's parks and open spaces, PLEASE remember to either use a bin or take your litter home if the bins are full. You were able to bring it with you, so please leave these areas as you would expect to find them for the next person to enjoy.
Let's keep Doncaster clean and tidy!
Universal Testing Information
Everyone in England can now access free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing, the government has announced. Anyone will be able to access free, rapid lateral flow tests (LFDs) for themselves and their families to use twice a week, in line with clinical guidance.
Rapid testing detects cases quickly, meaning positive cases can isolate immediately. Since rapid testing was introduced, over 120,000 positive cases that would not have been found otherwise have already been identified by LFDs. By making rapid tests available to everyone, more cases will be detected, breaking chains of transmission and saving lives.
Through new testing technology, positive cases of variants of concern are being detected faster than ever before. More people getting a test will increase our ability to identify and control variants.
If testing at home, individuals will need to register their results online or by calling 119. They should self-isolate if positive and order a confirmatory PCR test.
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should book a test online or by calling 119.
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