Nottinghamshire public 'must play their part' to stop Covid surge

Health chiefs are calling on the people of Nottinghamshire to put their frustrations at any potential new lockdown to one side and do their bit to help combat the second wave of Covid-19 cases.
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Nottinghamshire saw its largest weekly increase in the number of positive coronavirus cases transferred to the test and trace service at the end of September, figures show.

It comes as the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus in England increased by more than half in one week, with health chiefs warning ‘prompt action’ is needed to prevent a tide of hospitalisations.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “Trust chief executives across the north west, north east and Yorkshire are telling us that Covid-related hospital admissions are rapidly rising.

Health experts say the public must put frustration to one side and do their bit to stop the spread of Covid-19. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesHealth experts say the public must put frustration to one side and do their bit to stop the spread of Covid-19. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Health experts say the public must put frustration to one side and do their bit to stop the spread of Covid-19. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

“We need prompt action to prevent a full-blown second Covid surge.

"We need every member of the public to play their part – hands, face and space – as they did in the first phase of Covid, however frustrating and burdensome they find any restrictions or public health advice."

Data from the Department for Health and Social (DHSC) care shows 1,827 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Derbyshire were transferred to the test and trace service between May 28 and September 30.

That was 308 more than the total transferred up to September 23 – the largest weekly increase since comparable local figures were first published in August.

Test and trace asks these patients to give details for anyone they were in close contact with in the 48 hours before their symptoms started.

In Nottinghamshire, 4,946 close contacts were identified but just 63.7 per cent of those were reached by contact tracers in the four month period, meaning 1,796 people were not contacted or did not respond.

That was only slightly up from the 63.4 per cent reached in the period to September 23.

Across England, 51,500 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the seven days to September 30, making it the highest total since the regime launched in May.

However, only 67 per cent (34,500) were transferred into the contact tracing system.

Mr Hopson said the large increase in positive tests, alongside worsening test and trace performance nationally, was ‘worrying’.

There are now 87 local authority contact tracing teams live across the country, with more due in the coming weeks, according to the DHSC.

Baroness Dido Harding, who is interim executive chairwoman of the National Institute for Health Protection, said demand for tests is rising with the growing number of cases.

She said: “We are working hard to increase testing capacity to meet that demand and improve turnaround times for tests.

“We have now opened 500 test sites across the UK, an extraordinary achievement.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce today (Monday) the Government’s plans for tackling the rise in Covid-19 cases across the country, bringing in the new ‘traffic light’ three-level system of alerts.

Several areas with spiking numbers of new Covid-19 cases are expected to face tougher lockdown measures with Nottinghamshire among those parts of the UK likely to be facing stricter restrictions.