Warning as Covid infections rates rise in parts of the Black Country
Residents in the Black Country have been warned to stick to Covid guidelines over the Easter holiday amid rising infection rates in parts of the region.
The warning has been issued by Sandwell Council to people living in the Hateley Heath and Newton areas of West Bromwich, along with Tividale in Oldbury.
It comes after testing was increased in Oldbury due to a case of the South African variant of coronavirus being detected on the Oldbury/Tipton border.
Latest figures put the rate of infection in the Hateley Heath ward at 222 per 100,000 people, with 34 new cases in the last seven days of data, between March 22 and 28.
Comparable figures for the same period for Tividale show an infection rate of 193 per 100,000 people with 25 new cases, and of 191 per 100,000 people and 24 new cases in the Newton ward.
The rates are around twice the average rate for Sandwell as a whole, which is 96 per 100,000.
Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell’s director of public health, said: "In recent weeks, Sandwell has seen one of the fastest falls in Covid-19 case rates in the country. This is a great achievement by the local community.
"Recently, however, we have seen a sharp rise in infection within these three areas.
"There has been no single large outbreak in the area. Rather there has just been a general rise in infections, with sometimes several cases within one household.
"People living and working in these areas must take extra care to avoid becoming infected and passing Covid-19 on to others.
"In particular, if you have Covid-19 symptoms, stay home and book a test. If we don’t self-isolate when we have symptoms we can put other people’s lives at risk.
"This is especially important as the variant of the virus first found in Kent that is circulating in Sandwell spreads very quickly and is linked with a higher risk of severe illness and death."
People without symptoms who have to leave home for any reason, for example going to work, can book regular rapid Covid-19 tests at the West Bromwich Town Hall testing site – visit the council's Covid-19 testing webpage for details or, for people who cannot book online, call 0121 569 6999. These tests are only for people without symptoms.
Residents can find out which area they live in by using the postcode checker, at www.sandwell.gov.uk.
