Northamptonshire 'improving' picture but deaths and Covid cases remain at 'extremely' high level as residents warned once again to stick to the rules

"It is us who is spreading it, and so therefore we have always got to bear that in mind"
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Northamptonshire residents have been warned to keep sticking to the lockdown rules and not get complacent as Covid figures will 'very easily' go back up.

This was the message from Eileen Doyle, chief executive of Kettering General Hospital, in today's (Friday, February 5) weekly Northamptonshire Covid-19 press conference.

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The county's Covid-19 cases continue to slowly fall but remain at an 'extremely high' level - with Corby’s positivity rate and case rate amongst the highest in the country.

Residents have been urged to keep sticking to the rulesResidents have been urged to keep sticking to the rules
Residents have been urged to keep sticking to the rules

Between January 25 to 31, 2,402 residents in the county have tested positive for the deadly virus.

Mrs Doyle said the Covid crisis is an 'improving picture' in Northamptonshire but there is 'more to be done'.

She said: "The number of in-patients are coming down at Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital.

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"An improving picture, but we really do need to be vigilant because we have been here before, and I think if we recall after the last mini lockdown, around November, the numbers didn't come down sufficiently enough for us to have a good standing start ready for this big wave that has hit us recently.

"So, grateful to all our staff, the public for doing everything they can, but there is more to be done. But it is us who is spreading it, and so therefore we have always got to bear that in mind.

"We can't be complacent because it will very easily go back up again if we are not careful. Things have improved, but we don't want to normalise the ever-increasing numbers if we can possibly help it.

"That said, intensive care units remain busy and, in fact, the numbers [of patients] have gone up since last week.

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"Whereas we have an improving picture for our in-patients, actually, the sickest are growing in numbers, and so, therefore, we really have to concentrate on making sure we are doing everything we can."

The chief executive went on to say the numbers of deaths are still too high, with nearly 50 people being reported to have died with Covid in the last seven days to January 25.

She said: "The numbers of deaths are too high, remarkably high, actually, and although it is winter and we often see a higher number of deaths, sadly, in winter, it's high and I would say that that really does not only affect loved ones, families but it also affects our staff who are having to deal with this day in, day out."

Lucy Wightman,Director of Public Health at Northamptonshire County Council, also urged people to continue to comply with lockdown restrictions to help limit the spread of the virus.

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She said: "We have still got a lot more work to do. And we still, clearly, have got to make sure those messages are getting through to everybody around compliance and that this is the way forward to get us out of restrictions and back to some sense of normality.

"We have to keep on keeping on doing all the right things. Nowhere is immune from this. This is preventable, people have got to take responsibility for their actions.

“If we continue to stick to the lockdown rules, get tested and get vaccinated, we can maintain this downward trend, but it’s vital that we keep using all the tools available to us in the fight against the coronavirus."

The county’s overall infection rate per 100,000 population for the most recent week is 339.6, remaining significantly higher than the national average.

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All district and borough infection rates, except for Daventry and South Northamptonshire and East Northamptonshire, are significantly higher than or similar to the national average. Wellingborough, Northampton, Kettering and Corby’s rates are significantly higher and Corby has amongst the highest case rate in England.

The age group with the most positive tests in this week’s data was 30 to 39 year olds for both men and women. This is typically the working population. The new, more transmittable variant is also appearing to cause more hospital admissions and deaths in this age category.