Staffordshire County Council is issuing a warning to residents and businesses as Coronavirus figures rise in the county.
Covid-19 case rates have increased in Staffordshire – with latest figures showing they have more than doubled in the last week. This is partly due to a significant outbreak in Leek, but cases have increased in every district and borough. This is likely due to the ongoing emergence of the Delta variant of the virus, which spreads more easily
The seven-day rate for Staffordshire now sits at 25.7 cases per 100,000 population. This remains below the England and West Midlands averages, but health chiefs at the Council are warning that people need to be extra careful to prevent the spread of infection.
Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Public Health and Integrated Care, Dr. Johnny McMahon, said:
“This recent rise in cases and the emergence of the Delta variant, which is thought to be 40% more transmissible, is a stark warning that we cannot afford to be complacent and let our guard down.
“Cases have been low for several weeks and the vaccine programme rollout has been successful across Staffordshire, so perhaps this along with more freedoms being enjoyed has allowed some complacency to start to creep in. We can’t allow that to happen and take a damaging backwards step, especially after all the hard work we have put in to get us to this stage.
“People need to remain focussed – follow the rules in place, get the jab when offered and get tested twice a week or when asked to do so.”
The latest local advice on coronavirus, testing and vaccinations can be found at: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Coronavirus.
