Latest detailed council covid update: “Sit up and listen” to message over reducing our contact with others

Wrexham Council have said “Covid-19 is very much here in Wrexham and, with the Omicron variant, is likely to get worse.”

The latest full local data released on Friday notes the worsening local case rate, noting the then 601.7 cases per 100,000 population figure , which is “much worse (19%) than the 503.8 of two weeks ago and even the 524.4 of four weeks ago”.

They added, “Over the coming days, hundreds of additional NHS staff and volunteers will join the vaccination effort in North Wales. The aim is to offer a booster to every eligible adult by the end of this month – helping to limit the impact of the highly infectious Omicron variant.

“It’s a huge undertaking for our health services, who continue to work incredibly hard to keep us safe. So please – when you get your chance, get your booster.”

A reminder was given that if you haven’t been invited for a booster yet, you can now book online (link HERE) or attend a drop in clinic, or you might be invited directly by your GP practice or community pharmacy.

If you’re housebound, there’s no need to contact the NHS. The local health board already has your details and is working as quickly as possible to get to you before the end of December.

You can order test kits for free on the UK Government website  or from selected local pharmacies.

The full council formal / data update is copied in full below from Friday, as usual any bolding or italics is from Wrexham Council:

COVID-19 RECOVERY: WCBC BRIEFING NOTE, 17^th DECEMBER 2021

OVERVIEW

Clear messages have been shared by the Welsh Government today and this requires us all to sit up and listen. At present we are dealing with a wave of the Delta variant of the disease and the rate of spread remains high in wales, this variant remains the one most likely to be predominant over the Christmas period.

However the much publicised and fast spreading Omicron Variety is also here in Wales and it will spread quickly and is likely to be the dominant form of the virus in the UK by the end of December. It is a very fast-moving form of the virus and is easily transmitted from person to person and in turn to a large number of people.

Reducing our contact with others, especially if we are seeing older people or more vulnerable people over Christmas, will help to protect them from the virus.

DATA ON THE VIRUS

TABLE 1: Covid-19 in the County Borough as a whole compared to other Councils in North Wales

Comment

TAKE ACTION NOW TO AVOID OMICRON AND TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS – GET A JAB

• 141 cases were reported in Wrexham today.
• The latest 7-day rate for cases is 601.7/100,000 population, which is much worse (19%) than the 503.8 of two weeks ago and even the 524.4 of four weeks ago.
• Positivity (the indicator of community transmission) is 18.8%, up from 17.7% two weeks ago and 18.6% four weeks ago.
• Wrexham’s relative position in Wales has worsened for cases per 100k population, being 2^nd compared to 5^th two weeks ago and 9^th four weeks ago, and 4^th for positivity, compared to 8^th two weeks ago and 15^th four weeks ago.
• The Delta variant accounts for all but a very few of the cases. There are 10 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant, but it is expected to grow at a very much faster rate than Delta.
• Local community transmission in households, then schools, then social contacts and finally work contacts remains the driver of infection, as has been the case for many months.
• The highest rate of infection remains amongst the under 20s, again, as it has for many months. This is because they are the least vaccinated. This is followed, effectively, by their parents, but also growing numbers in older age groups.
• It will take around 2 weeks to find out if Omicron is as harmful as, or even worse than, Delta.
• Hospital admissions and deaths remain low compared to Waves 1 and 2 of the pandemic, supporting the view that the vaccine is highly effective against Covid. There is a very much higher chance of being admitted to hospital if someone has not been vaccinated or received their booster.
• VACCINATION is the only way out of this. There is strong evidence, from Israel and South Africa, that the BOOSTER JAB is crucial for reducing severity, hospitalisation and death. 
• Mask wearing remains the law under the Level 0 Alert in place throughout Wales and the Frist Minister has today announced more stringent regulations coming into force from Monday and 27th.

TABLE 2: Covid-19 in the Sub-Areas of Wrexham (18 MSOA areas used by PHW in its Tableau)

Comment

• All of the 18 sub-areas of Wrexham remain ‘hotspots’ with more than 100 cases/100,000 population, which has been the case for many months. This confirms that there is widespread community transmission throughout the County Borough, even without the arrival of Omicron.
• 15 the sub-areas have more than 400/100k, compared to 13 two weeks ago and 10 four weeks ago. 
• 8 of the sub-areas have more than 600/100k, compared to 3 two weeks ago and 7 four weeks ago.
• 7 of the sub-areas have seen an improvement since two weeks ago, meaning that 11 have got worse. This compares to 9 and 9 two weeks ago and 5 and 13, respectively, four weeks ago.
• Covid-19 is very much here in Wrexham and, with the Omicron variant, is likely to get worse.
• The only way out of this is to follow the rules in Wales (IT IS THE LAW) AND GET ALL OF YOUR VACCINATIONS, including a BOOSTER, as soon as you are eligible.

KEY MESSAGES

We urge all residents of Wrexham to follow five simple steps for a safer Christmas and repeat the messages of the first minister

To stay safe in the run up to Christmas, the Welsh Government is strongly advising everyone to follow these five measures to stay safe:

• Get vaccinated – and if you’ve had your booster appointment, please make this your priority.
• If you’re going out, going Christmas shopping or visiting people – flow before you go. Take a lateral flow test. If it’s positive – don’t go out.
• Meeting outdoors is better than indoors. If you’re meeting indoors make sure it’s well ventilated.
• Space out your socialising – if you’ve got lots of events arranged, please leave at least a day between events.
• And don’t forget about social distancing, wearing a face covering and washing your hands.

For your information you can order test kits for free on the Welsh Government website or from selected local pharmacies.

You can also pick them up from:

Ty Pawb

Wrexham Museum

Wrexham Library

Chirk Leisure Centre

Gwyn Evans Leisure Centre