Calderdale virus cases spike by nearly 100 per cent, NHS figures show

NHS Digital summary data shows between August 30 and September 5, the borough – already subject to a partial local lockdown – had a case rate of 36.7 per 10,000 of people (77 new cases), a 97 per cent increase in cases over the previous period.

Data for the previous period (August 23 to 29) had seen a rate of 15.7 per 100,000, which itself was half the previous seven-day period – perhaps showing how susceptible they are to change.

The August 30-September 5 figures show a 33 per cent increase in triages – the number of calls from people who think they may have coronavirus to the various NHS lines – with 208, an increased triage rate on the previous period of 99 per 100,000.

The council’s Brighouse, Calder, Elland, Greetland and Stainland, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe, Luddenden Foot, Rastrick, Ryburn and Todmorden wards – effectively the Calder Valley Parliamentary constituency – came out of local restrictions on September 2.

But wards that fall in the Halifax Parliamentary constituency (Illingworth and Mixenden, Northowram and Shelf, Ovenden, Park, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town and Warley) remain subject to ‘local lockdown’ imposed on July 31 along with other parts of West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

The Government’s figures show the number of cases in each area in Calderdale between August 29 and September 4 were as follows.

Todmorden West and Cornholme, 0-2; Todmorden East and Walsden, 0-2; Hebden Bridge, 0-2; Mytholmroyd and Cragg Vale, 0-2; Ripponden, Rishworth and Barkisland, 3; Greetland and Stainland, 0-2; Elland, 0-2; Rastrick West, 0-2; Rastrick East, 0-2.

Brighouse, 5; Clifton and Bailiff Bridge, 0-2; Hipperholme, 3; Northowram and Shelf, 3; Central Halifax and Boothtown, 0-2; Sowerby Bridge, 0-2; Sowerby, Beechcroft and Luddenden Foot, 0-2; Norton Tower and Mount Tabor, 0-2; Savile Park, 0-2; Skircoat Green, 0-2; Southowram and Siddal, 4; Pellon East, 10; Pellon West and Highroad Well, 10; King Cross, 10; Wheatley and Ovenden West, 5; Ovenden East, 0-2; Mixenden, 0-2; and Illingworth and Ogden, 0-2.

The Government figures by local area are classed as Middle Super Output Areas – each has an average population of around 7,200.

Director of Public Health Deborah Harkins has always warned stabilisation of cases needs to be sustained for a period of time to be sure improvement measures, including the local test and trace system, which is now up and running in tandem with the national scheme, are fully working.

And the council’s leader, Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town) has often said the virus is not going away anytime soon and recently renewed appeals for people to take care.

Everyone can play their part by washing their hands regularly, staying two metres apart, wearing a face covering when indoors where they might come into contact with others, such as public transport, taxis, shops, museums and places of worship, not visiting, or having visitors from, other households.

The public are advised to stay away from crowds and avoid close contact with others, such as handshakes and hugs, keeping up with guidance, isolating for 10 days and getting a test if a person has symptoms of COVID-19, and following the advice of the Test and Trace service if we have come into contact with someone with the virus.