Cumbria hospitals still under pressure
Cumbria's hospitals are still feeling the pressure of high admissions despite falling Covid-19 cases and growing uptake of vaccines.At a meeting of Cumbria County Council's local committee for Copeland, Georgina Ternent, public health locality manager gave an update on how the area is faring.
She said: "The Cumbria data for the seven days up to the seventh of September shows there's a case rate in Cumbria of 427.6, Copeland is slightly less than that, 420.3 which relates to 286 cases but that is actually up about 75 cases on the previous update.
"Now that potentially could be down to increased testing, we've got increased testing with schools going back so it could be around that."
Though Covid-19 cases remain at the lower end of the scale, Georgina said:
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There are still reasons to be optimistic though, as the Covid-19 vaccination programme rolls-on.
Georgina said: "Our vaccination take up is pretty good. Cumbria wide its 88.1 per cent for the first dose, 82.6 per cent for the second dose
"In Copeland that relates to 89.5 per cent for the first dose and 84.2 per cent for the second dose."
The local public health manager said that more could be done to drive the numbers.
"There's a lot to be encouraged about but there are still those who are vaccine hesitant and still those that aren't coming forward.
Georgina told the council: "We wait to hear about 12 to 15 year olds, I'm sure you'll be aware our director of public health will support that.
"The 17 to 18 year olds are coming forward quite well. Case numbers are still in that younger age group, again that is falling."
Health secretary Sajid Javid has announced that from next week, booster vaccine will be offered, ensuring that the most vulnerable groups are protected from any potential winter surges in Covid-19.
The third jab will be given to the public in the same priority order as the first two.
A consultation by the UK Government is considering whether to make flu and Covid vaccines mandatory for health staff.