Posted: Tue 19th Jan 2021

All GP practices across Wrexham sign up to administer vaccine to patients (Full council update)

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 19th, 2021

All GP practices across Wrexham have signed up to administer doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

Each practice will start to receive a supply of Oxford vaccines this week and will be able to begin vaccinating their practice populations in the most vulnerable categories.

The information was provided by Wrexham Council yesterday as part of its twice a week coronavirus update – with the full update below.

The local authority also confirmed that a letter has been sent to all residents explaining that they will be contacted when it is time for them to receive their vaccine.

So far over 151,000 people in the top two priority groups has received the first dose of either the Oxford AstraZenca or Pfizer vaccines.

Of those vaccinated over 16,000 have been in North Wales according to the most recent update on the Public Health Wales tableau – however the information is correct as of the week ending January 10th.

We asked the health board for an update more locally, and they told us: “As of last week over a quarter of both Priority Groups 1 and 2 (including those aged over 80) in North Wales have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. All 98 GP practices in the region are now part of the vaccine roll-out. 71 of them have already started to administer the vaccine, with the remaining practices due to take delivery of the vaccine this week, and this is in addition to the mass vaccination centres which are also available.

“We aim for all people aged over 80 to have had their first dose of the vaccine by the end of next week.”

Those over the age of 80, healthcare workers, care home residents and staff are amongst the first to be offered the vaccine as part of guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The vaccine rollout will eventually be extended to offer all in the below groups to be vaccinated:-

• All those 75 years of age and over
• All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
• All those 65 years of age and over.
• All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
• All those 60 years of age and over
• All those 55 years of age and over
• All those 50 years of age and over

The Welsh Government is is aiming to offer the vaccine to all care home residents and staff; frontline health and social care staff by mid-February; everyone over 70 and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable by mid-February.

By spring vaccination will have been offered to all the other phase one priority groups. This is everyone over 50 and everyone who is at-risk because they have an underlying health condition.

As part of the rollout there are plans to open mass vaccination centres across Wales, with centres in Plas Madoc and the Wrexham Glyndwr University planned for Wrexham.

In the briefing issued by Wrexham Council it is noted that although the exact date is yet the be confirmed, the site at the Catrin Finch centre on the university campus is expected to open within the next two weeks.

Coronavirus cases in Wrexham remain the highest across Wales, with the rolling seven day average for the county borough 792.2 per 100k. However this is a drop on recent days, although the testing positivity rate remains at 29%.

The are 11 areas across Wrexham with more than 700/100k are set out below, although cases of the virus remain high across the area.

  •  Gwersyllt West & Summerhill has 1232 – down from 1249 on the 15th
  •  Caia Park has 1064 – down from 1087 on the 15th
  • Wrexham West has 1056 – up from 912 on the 15th
  • Hermitage & Whitegate has 1040 – down from 1337 on the 15th
  • Rhos and Johnstown South has 1024 – down from 1110 on the 15th
  • Town North, University & Rhos-ddu has 923 – down from 1137 on the 15th
  • Acton & Maes-y-dre has 890 – up from 791 on the 15th
  • Coedpoeth & Brymbo has 844 – down from 855 on the 15th
  • Pen-y-cae & Minera has 786 – down from 820 on the 15th
  • Gresford, Marfoed & Rossett has 714 – down from 749 on the 15th
  • New Broughton & Bryn Cefn has 709 – down from 1044 on the15t

More information on vaccinations in North Wales can be found on the Betsi Cadawaladr University Health Board website.

 

The full council update from yesterday is copied in full below, as usual any bolding or italics is from Wrexham Council:

Dear Councillors, Community Councillors and the media,

This note is a short update on the main note issued on Fridays.

COMMUNICATIONS

Even with the rates falling slightly and vaccinations increasing we need to remain as vigilant as ever. Any relaxation in behaviours could put us back to square one.

DATA ON THE VIRUS

Please find attached:

Table 1 – the summary of the weekly data for Wrexham as a whole compared to other councils in North Wales

Table 2 – the summary of daily data for the 18 ‘MSOA’ statistical sub-areas of Wrexham used by Public Health Wales

The County Borough as a Whole (Table 1)

Wrexham remains worst in Wales for the rate per 100,000 population (792.2 today) and positivity (28.9% today) and second for new cases. The rate/100k is lower than reported on Friday (867.9) and positivity about the same (28.8%).

The key driver for the spread of the virus is the ‘UK’ variant, which now accounts for most, if not all, new cases in North Wales.

Hospital admissions for Covid-19 in North Wales (147 week ending 10th January) are the highest they have ever been during the pandemic. Sadly, deaths are rising too.

The Sub-Areas (Table 2)

Most of the 18 ‘MSOA’ sub-areas of Wrexham (used by PHW in their reports) have improved a little since my last report to you 3 days ago (15th January), but the figures remain very high.

  • 0 have recorded their worst figures since 20th October (shown in bold on the table), compared to 1 on the 15th
  • 16 have greater than 550/100k, compared to 16 on the 15th.
  • 8 have greater than 800/100k, compared to 10 on the 15th.
  • 16 are in the worst decile (10%) in Wales, compared to 14 on the 15th, but this threshold is much lower (511/100k) than on Friday (602/100k) and last Monday (648/100k), reflecting the fact that cases have fallen much more quickly in South Wales.
  • The 11 with more than 700/100k (compared to 12 on Friday) are set out below:

o   Gwersyllt West & Summerhill has 1232           – down from 1249 on the 15th

o   Caia Park has 1064                                             – down from 1087 on the 15th

o   Wrexham West has 1056                                   – up from 912 on the 15th

o   Hermitage & Whitegate has 1040                      – down from 1337 on the 15th

o   Rhos and Johnstown South has 1024             – down from 1110 on the 15th

o   Town North, University & Rhos-ddu has 923  – down from 1137 on the 15th

o   Acton & Maes-y-dre has 890                             – up from 791 on the 15th

o   Coedpoeth & Brymbo has 844                          – down from 855 on the 15th

o   Pen-y-cae & Minera has 786                              – down from 820 on the 15th

o   Gresford, Marfoed & Rossett has 714              – down from 749 on the 15th

o   New Broughton & Bryn Cefn has 709              – down from 1044 on the15th

  • 0 have less than 300/100k, compared to 0 on 15th December. The lowest is 376/100k, compared to 497 on the 15th

 

Settings

The virus is very widespread with the principal locations remaining households followed, some way below, by outbreaks in care/nursing homes (including, sadly, a number of hospitalisations and deaths).

MANAGING THE VIRUS 

Supermarkets

Council Public Protection officers will be writing to and visiting supermarkets to offer advice and, where necessary, enforce compliance with the regulations.

Schools

Schools continue to provide education to pupils via remote learning. On-site provision continues for those children who are vulnerable and for the children of key workers. Unless there is a significant reduction in cases of Covid-19 before 29 January these arrangements will continue until the February half term (week beginning 15th February), which seems likely.

 

Other Council Services

The Council is continuing to provide critical services as publicised on our website.

Vaccination Programme

Overall

The vaccination programme is fast-moving and subject to daily change.

A National Vaccination Plan was published last week and a Regional Vaccination Plan is due to be published tomorrow.

The current intention is to utilise the Pfizer vaccine in the Mass and Local Vaccination Centres (MVCs and LVCs) and the Oxford vaccine in care homes and GP practices and other primary care locations.

Care Homes and Health & Social Care Staff

Vaccinations within care homes will continue as the regulations allow and the position of each care home is being monitored regularly to ensure that residents are vaccinated as soon as possible. Health & Social Care staff continue to be vaccinated through the hospital sites (health staff) and the MVCs (health & social care staff).

Vaccines in the Community

All GPs in Wrexham have signed up to giving the vaccine. Each practice will receive a supply of Oxford vaccines this week and be able to begin vaccinating their practice populations in the most vulnerable categories. A letter has been sent to all residents explaining that they will be contacted when it is time for them to receive their vaccination.  

Plans are being made to open a Local Vaccination Centre in the Catrin Finch Centre on the university campus. The exact date for this is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be within the next two weeks.

More information on vaccinations can be obtained via the following link: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/about-the-vaccine

Regards

Chief Officer Planning and Regulatory

 



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