Covid cases fall in Worcester

The number of coronavirus cases recorded in the city fell by 16 per cent in the last week, the latest figures show.

Public Health England said a total of 41 new cases were recorded in Worcester in the week up to May 27 – falling by 16 per cent compared to the previous week.

The infection rate in Worcester is now 40.5 cases per 100,000 people.

Almost half of the cases were recorded in the King George’s Field area of the city which covers WR3 and WR4 postcodes including parts of Astwood Road, Tolladine Road, Langdale Drive, Brickfields Road and Blackpole Road.

As many as 19 cases were recorded – increasing from 13 in the previous week – which means the infection rate in the area is now 211.3 cases per 100,000 people.

The city’s first pop-up vaccine clinic was held at the King George V Community Hub off Brickfields Road last week with some residents aged 32 and over invited for their first jab.

On Tuesday (June 1), Downing Street repeated Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement from last week which indicated that nothing in the current data showed that the ending of lockdown on June 21 would have to be delayed because of the spread of the Indian variant.

Public Health England said fewer than five cases of the B.1.617.2 mutation, otherwise known as the Indian variant, were found in Worcester in the week up to May 27.

Almost half of the county’s adults have now received two doses of a Covid vaccine, the latest figures show.

NHS England said 243,704 people in Worcestershire had received two vaccines – roughly 47 per cent of the county’s adult population – in the period up to May 23.

Despite the fall in cases in Worcester, the number of Covid cases across the county has continued to rise – increasing by 11 per cent compared to the week before.

A total of 112 cases were recorded in Worcestershire in the week up to May 27 – rising from 101 cases in the previous week.

Twelve cases were recorded in Malvern Hills in the same week – a rise of 20 per cent compared to the previous week – and 17 cases were recorded in Wychavon.

Figures show the number of cases in Wychavon increased by 41 per cent compared to the previous week.

A total of 17 cases were recorded in Redditch, ten cases were recorded in Bromsgrove and 15 cases were recorded in Wyre Forest during the same week.

The latest NHS figures available show six people were in hospital in Worcestershire with coronavirus on May 25 including one person on a ventilator.

The number of people in hospital with Covid in the county has not risen above ten since April 28.

Two people were also under the care of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.