The Covid-19 infection rate in Kirklees has dropped by 25% over the last week but remains above the national average.

Kirklees Council is urging everyone to continue to stay at home or stay apart to bring rates down further.

With 141 per 100,000 people in Kirklees testing positive for Covid-19 over the last seven days, the borough’s rate has dropped by 25% since last week. However, Kirklees’ rate is still above the national average of 86 per 100,000.

There were 621 new confirmed positive cases in the last week in Kirklees – fewer than last week when there were 764. Around 98% of these cases were of the Kent variant, which has shown to be spread more easily.

It’s likely that we are now seeing early signs of the impact of the vaccine rollout, with hospitalisations and deaths related to Covid-19 both dropping again over the last week. More than 130,000 people in Kirklees have now had at least their first dose of the vaccine.

There were 53 Kirklees people admitted to local hospitals with Covid-19 over the last week, which has dropped slightly from 57 last week. There are currently 63 patients from Kirklees in local hospitals with Covid-19 which is lower than last week, when it was 121, but remains high.

There were sadly six Covid-19 related deaths in the last week – but this is a significant drop from 21 in the previous week.

The vaccination centre at the John Smith’s Stadium

Rachel Spencer-Henshall, strategic director for public health at Kirklees Council, said: “Our numbers are moving in the right direction.

“Infection rates, hospitalisations and deaths are all falling and alongside this, 130,000 people in Kirklees have now had at least their first dose of the vaccine. We’re making progress, but I must once again stress that our infection rate is still high and we need it to come down.

“The Government’s national roadmap gives us a route out of lockdown but it’s down to us all to get Kirklees through it together. For restrictions to ease in line with the roadmap, one of the four tests we need to meet is to make sure infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations. With our infection rate currently above the national average, it’s clear that we all need to remain cautious and keep following the guidance.

“We need everyone to play their part in making sure Kirklees gets through the roadmap safely. As a resident, the best thing you can do is stay at home as much as possible until restrictions can ease and take the vaccine when it’s your turn. If you do this, you’re playing your part in keeping yourself safe as well as your family and your community.

“If you need to leave home, remember to socially distance, wash your hands and wear a face covering. Also remember to let plenty of fresh air into your home – this can significantly reduce the risk of infection. 

“We are seeing early signs of how effective the vaccination programme has been with positive data on hospitalisations and deaths. Thank you to everyone who has been vaccinated and crucially to the remarkable health staff and volunteers who have made our fantastic start of the rollout possible. We cannot become complacent because both of these figures can quickly rise if we are not careful.”