I'm posting this here, as it seems to have been missed by just about every news outlet out there and although I've touched on this on other threads and been asked a bit about it, I thought it probably merited its own thread now.
There is a growing problem in the area which should be of real concern to everyone due to the degree that its been under the radar.
Last night the council issued a request to be stricter than the official Rule of Six if you live in the borough
Warrington Borough Council @WarringtonBC
â›” Please don't visit other households unless you need to. With case numbers rising rapidly, and steeply, over the last few weeks, we all need to play our part to stop the spread of the virus:
www.warrington.gov.uk/news/warrington-residents-urged-not-visit-other-households?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_content=COVID-19
In a bid to contain the transmission of coronavirus, and to help drive down the number of cases in the town, Warrington’s Public Health leaders are appealing to residents not to visit other households.
Case numbers in Warrington have risen rapidly, and steeply, over the last couple of weeks and residents are being urged to play their part, now, to avoid the risk of the town going into a local lockdown. Confirmed cases in the most recent verified seven-day period are now over 200.
There is clear evidence to show that households are the most likely setting for the virus to spread, so residents should avoid visiting other people at home, including visiting people in private gardens, unless you have formed a household support bubble. People can meet outdoors in open, public spaces as long as they follow the new ‘rule of six’ – that is, a maximum of six people can meet from multiple households, as long as they continue to socially distance themselves from one another. But Warrington residents are being urged not to visit other people at home if they don’t need to – both inside and outside the borough.
This decision will be kept under constant review, but a formal assessment will be made in three weeks’ time, on 5 October.
A bit of background to this:
It's currently the 6th Worst Place in England for new infections within the last 7 days rolling period. Yesterday the rate was 98.1 per 100,000. On 2nd September it was 9 per 100,000. It was 2.9 the previous week. Cases have been low throughout the Summer despite being so close to Greater Manchester.
This spike seems to have been ignored / missed as a concern. Warrington didn't make last week's PHE areas of concern list. Nor has there been anything in the media about the sharp rise outside the local newspaper.
Whats particularly concerned is the spread of this and how there seems to be multiple outbreaks occuring. The rise in cases has affects all wards of the council. Initially cases seems to have started in the poorer north of the town (where the town centre is). Which is where you would expect to appear at least initially.
It needs to be pointed out here, that the town has recovered to pre-covid levels of footfall too - one of only 14 towns to do so.
The north is traditionally much much more deprieved than the south and the north and south are very socially divided with a 'them and us' mentality that stretches along the division of the Manchester Ship Canal. People don't mix too much socially between the two.
There are now numerous cases being reported in the much more rural and affluent wards of South Warrington. So it looks like its spread to different communities. There is a mentality that it was 'safe' in these wards because its more middle class, less densely populated etc etc.
It really goes against the stereotypes of where covid 'should be'.
The Chief Executive of the local NHS trust has sent out a daily update today to staff which a friend described as 'making for sobering reading' about the infection rate. Hospital admissions for covid are up too.
The focus in the media over the last few days has been about other areas 'which are the 10 worst affected' not being able to get hold of tests. Warrington wasn't one of these 10 worst affected listed despite its ranking in terms of new infections.
As Warrington isn't being seen as a problem, its not getting attention and there seems to be a particular shortage of testing in the northwest. There's a real struggle to get tested - people were being directed to Telford earlier in the week. There isn't a permenant testing site in the borough - only a shared mobile one with Halton which has moved throughout the summer - though the council are trying to sort this. Warrington, without Halton, has a population of 100,000. There are testing sites just outside the council area but its not helping the current situation.
Sky yesterday reported
Director of public health for Cheshire West and Chester, Ian Ashworth, said: "Additional testing capacity is essential to help prevent further spread of the virus in Cheshire and Merseyside but also the North West.
"Currently the North West region has 25% of the COVID-19 national cases and yet has access to only 15% of the national testing capacity."
And it seems that the known hot spots of Greater Manchester are getting most attention (and therefore priority).
No one wants to acknowledge the growing problem in Warrington. Its like its invisible.
I don't know if Warrington is unique or there are other similar areas which are currently under the radar - my suspicion is there are.
Its deeply frustrating that no one seems to be paying attention nor realising what is potentially starting to unfold. Its really reactionary and slow. And whilst this only will directly/indirectly affect the small number of posters who live there/have family or friends there, it should be something others are concerned about because it highlights how fast a picture can change and how unprepared a lot of areas seem for a fast change and how to cope with it.
The chances of the borough getting to the 5th October review without an intervention sooner at the rate cases are going up, seems slim.
I'm hoping that by starting a thread and screaming about it as loudly as possible, SOMEONE will start waking up SOMEWHERE and start asking the necessary relevant questions which are important to everyone no matter where they live.
These questions are about Warrington alone. They are about the wider implications of responsiveness and a lack of awareness of whats going on.