Trafford’s coronavirus infection rate is ‘continuing to increase’ and is the second highest in Greater Manchester, but hospital admissions and deaths from covid are falling.
The borough’s current infection rate stands at 417 cases per 100,000 people and is going up, in line with the English average.
Health bosses have also confirmed there are currently no cases of the new covid omicron variant in the borough.
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Jilla Burgess-Allen was standing in for acting Director for Public Health Helen Gollins during a covid-19 pandemic meeting this morning and gave Trafford council an update.
She said: “The situation in Trafford at the moment is our rate is continuing to increase. We are seeing around 140 cases per day. We’re slightly below the England average but on a similar trajectory.
“We currently have the second highest rate in Greater Manchester. That’s where we’ve been – around that top three or four – since we came down from that spike we had earlier in the autumn – somewhat a concerning picture for that reason.
“We’ve got a spread of cases across the borough, so it’s not especially concentrated in one particular area.”
The borough’s highest infection rates are currently in the areas of Priory, Brooklands and Davyhulme West.
The highest rates by age range are being seen in school-aged children, particularly the 0-14 bracket.
Fortunately, the borough’s rates among its over 60 population are not increasing, and are instead declining slightly.
Ms Burgess-Allen added: “The other good news is the number of hospital admissions for Trafford continue to gradually decline.”
There were 114 admissions to hospital during the week ending November 21, compared to 130 in the previous week.
Death rates from covid in the borough are also going down.
Ms Burgess-Allen said: “It’s an interesting pattern and very much points to the effectiveness of our vaccination programme. We obviously have this recent development of the new variant, omicron. I can confirm there are no cases of omicron in Trafford at this time.
“As you can imagine, there’s incredibly intensive surveillance and we’re paying attention to all of the data to make sure that if and when there are any cases, we’re able to pick those up.
“The government have responded in a proportionate and swift manner to the emergence of this variant and in Trafford we also want to take a similar precautionary approach.”
As we enter the winter months, Trafford’s health bosses have urged a return to the old precautionary measures that we know work; regular hand washing, maintaining social distance, wearing face masks and keeping indoor spaces ventilated.
Ms Burgess-Allen added: “While we are still discovering and trying to understand what the new variant will mean for us in Trafford, it’s simply sensible for us to be a little cautious at this time.
“There’s no strong evidence at all to suggest that the new variant can escape the vaccine, but we do know that there are a number of mutations. As soon as we know more we’ll be able to respond.
“There is every indication that the vaccines that we have will continue to be effective. Anyone that has not yet come forward for their first dose, or indeed their second, or are eligible for the booster and haven’t yet come forward for it to do so now.”
