Latest detailed council update: Figures falling ‘rapidly, significantly & consistently’ but ‘act as if you and everyone you meet might have covid’

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Feb 27th, 2021

The latest local update has been published by Wrexham Council, detailing the precise local area figures and information on the pandemic.

The update is a more positive one than in recent times as the figures are reducing, and Wrexham was the worst in Wales and now is the best in North Wales.

The council ask everyone to keep their guard up, ‘Act as if you – and everyone you meet – might have Covid-19.’

The Council say, “The main cause of the spread of the disease continues to be household transmission which is why the restriction to not mix with any other household is still in place. It’s important and we all need to continue to do this for some time yet.”

They also issued a reminder to parents on how to help:

If you’re the parent or carer of a Foundation Phase pupil you must wear a mask when dropping children off and picking them up.
You shouldn’t be chatting or hanging about the school grounds or gates and should always stay 2m away from anyone not in your household bubble.
School bubbles are for schools only, children should not be mixing outside of school.
You should not send your child to school if they are unwell.
Please continue to work from home when children return to school.

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

Covid-19: WCBC Weekly Briefing Note, 26^th February 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

Please share – on social media and directly with your communities – this document, the bilingual GIFs sent to you via email and the Council’s pubic briefing note: https://news.wrexham.gov.uk/covid-19-were-improving-but-were-not-there-yet/

DATA ON THE VIRUS

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

Comment

The rate of infection in Wrexham as a whole has fallen rapidly, significantly and consistently over the last month. The latest 7-day rate per 100,000 population is 68, which is nearly half what it was only a week ago (122) and positivity is 5.5%, again nearly half what it was a week ago (9.5%). These are the lowest figures since September 2020, before the second wave of infections began and the ‘Local Health Protection Zones’ (the first of the lockdown measures) came into force. Wrexham has fallen from 2^nd place in Wales last week to 13^th for the rate per 100k and from 4^th to 17^th for positivity.

Local household transmission remains the principal driver of the disease, rather than international travel or work places (though there are some workplace clusters).

Hospital admissions in North Wales due to Covid-19 have fallen by 2/3 in the last three weeks to levels last seen in December.

Deaths in North Wales due to Covid-19 have fallen by ½ in the last three weeks to levels last seen in December (i.e. there being a lag between new cases and these data).

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

Comment

The situation is improving rapidly throughout Wrexham too, though with some exceptions.

16 of the 18 sub-areas have improved or seen only slight upward fluctuations of low numbers, since last week. The two which have got worse are:

Gwersyllt West & Summerhill – 118/100,000 population, compared to 68 last week

Chirk & Ceiriog Valley – 108, compared to 62 last week

0 have more than 200/100,000 population compared to 2 last week.

Only 1 is in the worst decile (10%) in Wales (more than 137/100k). This is due to both local reductions and the threshold for this decile being lower than it was even a week ago (163), reflecting the fact that cases continue to fall elsewhere in Wales too.

Only 4 have more than 100/100k (the new ‘hot spots’ compared to the many 700+ ‘very hot spots’ that were reported only a few weeks ago), however none of these have more than 13 cases:

Coedpoeth & Brymbo – 143/100k, compared to 77 last week

Borras & Rhosnesni – 124, compared to 82 last week

Gwersyllt West & Summerhill – 118, compared to 68 last week

Chirk & Ceiriog Valley – 108, compared to 62 last week

12 have, over the last week, seen their lowest rates since 20^th October 2020 (when PHW started publishing these data, so there are no sub-area data from before then to compare with).

9 have less than 70, the old Welsh Government trigger for a lockdown.

Deaths – The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has begun publishing data on deaths from Covid-19 on a sub-area (MSOA) basis, in the form of an interactive map. This, rather grim reading, for the 18 sub-areas in Wrexham can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/articles/deathsinvolvingcovid19interactivemap/latest

MANAGING THE VIRUS

Overall – The Level-4 Alert lockdown in place since December 2020 has significantly reduced the rate of infection. There was some slight relaxation last week, including the return of foundation year primary school children. Welsh Government will review these measure in two weeks.

Education

Primary schools begin their return today and will continue to phase in groups of Foundation Phase learners (3-7yrs olds) during the first part of next week

Secondary schools are preparing for the return of Yr11 and Yr13 students from 15^th March

Lateral flow (LFD) tests are being provided to staff working in schools on a voluntary basis

When Yr11 and Yr13 pupils return they will also be given the opportunity to take LFD tests

Other Council Services – the Council is continuing to provide critical services as publicised on our website and many other services too.

The Vaccination Programme

TABLE 3: Summary of data on the Rollout of the Vaccine in Wales, North Wales and Wrexham

Comment

More than 207,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered in North Wales with 36,717 in Wrexham, compared to nearly 200,000 and more than 31,000, respectively, last week.

There has been low vaccine supply this week and this will be the same next week. This has affected supplies to all GPs across North Wales, but the Mass Vaccination Centres are receiving and providing vaccine for second doses.

The Catrin Finch local vaccination centre (LVC) is not closing, but has reduced hours for first doses, while second doses are not due there for another few weeks. It is being used this week and enxt for first doses for those people in Priority Groups 1-4 who were unwell and not able to have their vaccines before (mainly social care staff). The Centre will return to full working hours as vaccine supplies increase.

Vaccinations in the next few weeks will progress to those over 65 and those the clinically vulnerable.

Information and statistics on vaccinations can be found via the following links:

Wales – https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/about-the-vaccine

North Wales: https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination-information/ and Vaccinations statistics – Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (nhs.wales)