Wakefield remains 'area of concern' as weekly coronavirus figures rise

In their weekly dashboard, which was updated today, Wakefield Council said the rate of cases in the district had risen from 13 to 14.2 per 100,000 between July 27 and August 2.

According to the latest figures, a total of 1,920 people in the district have now tested positive for the virus, up from 1,868 at the end of July.

Coun Faith Heptinstall, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for adults, health and wellbeing, said: “By sharing the relevant data, we hope to give residents the most accurate picture we can on what’s happening across our district.

“We have seen a slight increase in positive case rates and that’s why I urge people not to be complacent and to continue to follow the advice given. The threat of COVID-19 remains a real threat to us all and I urge everyone to continue taking action to reduce the spread of infection.”

It was confirmed last month that the district had been deemed an 'area of concern' after a spike in cases linked to a number of local outbreaks.

But despite this, the district currently remains the only area of West Yorkshire which has not implemented a local lockdown or introduced enhanced measures to slow the spread of the virus.

A total of nine authorities in England are currently classified as areas of concern, while 19 areas, including Kirklees, Calderdale and Manchester, are considered areas of intervention, meaning that local lockdowns are in place.

Anna Hartley, Director of Public Health for the Wakefield district, said: “The figures have gone up ever so slightly and that’s why it’s more important than ever that we continue to do all we can to make sure there is no further increase. Please remember that you can make a massive impact on your own health and the health of family and friends if you keep following five simple rules:

"Wear a face covering in any enclosed public space, if you can

"If you have underlying health issues or are aged 70+, avoid areas where you can’t adhere to 2m social distancing

"Avoid any hugging or close contact with anyone outside your household

"Avoid car sharing with anyone outside of your household, if you can

"Maintain regular handwashing.”

Wakefield Council said it was "actively supporting the businesses and communities" affected by a series of local outbreaks.

A local testing centre and home delivery tests are now available to residents who are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

The local testing service is available from Monday to Friday and bookings for appointments can be made at www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 01924 224497. Or email the person’s name and contact details to [email protected] so the booking team can get in touch.

Anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms is urged to get a test by accessing local testing or by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119.

The dashboard and briefing can be found here.