Kent cases SPIKING - 0.6% infected!

[Dongdingdong]

646 out of every 100,000 people in Kent are infected with Covid apparently - massive numbers. Should we ban Christmas in Kent?

Yes please. Can avoid my step father for the whole of December

Maybe, I'd happily hide away but my 17 year old misses her boyfriend and needs to stretch her wings after a long year so far

Yes please. Can avoid my step father for the whole of December

Kent is a v large county. We are in West Kent and our numbers are significantly below that (112). I think there are huge problems in Swale where there are 3 prisons, which isn't helping numbers....

Not that we will be seeing anyone at Christmas anyway, as we are a family of 6, and have 2 vulnerable sets of parents. Allowing people to travel and mix is bonkers IMO!!

Apparently very few of the cases are in the prisons.

Yes, it’s bad here.

Just like last lockdown the cases are spiking at the end of lockdown because only a minority follow the rules. 🙄

It will be interesting to see what they do about Kent since it is such a large county. I've relatives in kent who are in a low area.

Can anyone explain why? I do live in kent. Our area is very high!

My area of Kent is dropping. And the MSM is saying that a lot of the Swale outbreak is concentrated on the prisons.

Where's your number from OP?

The 7 day rolling rate for the county is not as high although Swale is.

@Wingingthis

Can anyone explain why? I do live in kent. Our area is very high!

Mine’s pretty bad too (East Kent) although not as bad as North Kent.

For here I’d say it’s just because people completely ignore the rules. Apart from the shops being shut everyone is carrying on as normal. No masks, no distancing, large groups gathering in parks.

I live in one of the three areas with highest cases. Not surprised considering the lack of social distancing and barely anyone wearing masks! Tier 3 here we come!

My DCs schools have been 'lucky' up till last week due to the excellent measures put in place by schools. I have DD12 off till Monday 30th (close contact, no symptoms herself thus far) and DS10 has had no periods of isolation.

I too would like to avoid my in laws, so yes please OP!!

Don't think that's the whole of Kent. Swale, Thanet & Medway are all very high.

On a call today Kent were North Kent is a significant challenge. They are desperately trying to increase critical care capacity but staffing is an issue. London took some over the weekend.
Swale is very high in part due to prison population but that’s not the whole picture. Medway were considering stopping walk in at their emergency department. Thanet also a problem but with more critical care capacity as yet.
Highest community infection rate in U.K. at moment, so will impact on hospitals in 10-14 days.

The north Kent hospitals are working really well together in difficult circumstances but just about floating above the water. Staff working flat out to cope with situation. Ancient buildings don’t help because it’s difficult to separate positive and negative patients making bed occupancy look low when they’re frantic.

In my home part of Kent the numbers have increased from no where. It's a deprived town and I was surprised to see extended family groups wondering around primark with no masks, mum, dad, grandparent, kids etc. I was telling my mate they was doing better than where I live with very high mask compliance. That was last month. Some areas of Kent are very densely populated and deprived. Inc my home town

@CherryPavlova

On a call today Kent were North Kent is a significant challenge. They are desperately trying to increase critical care capacity but staffing is an issue. London took some over the weekend. Swale is very high in part due to prison population but that’s not the whole picture. Medway were considering stopping walk in at their emergency department. Thanet also a problem but with more critical care capacity as yet. Highest community infection rate in U.K. at moment, so will impact on hospitals in 10-14 days. The north Kent hospitals are working really well together in difficult circumstances but just about floating above the water. Staff working flat out to cope with situation. Ancient buildings don’t help because it’s difficult to separate positive and negative patients making bed occupancy look low when they’re frantic.

Thank you for that info.

@Legoandloldolls

In my home part of Kent the numbers have increased from no where. It's a deprived town and I was surprised to see extended family groups wondering around primark with no masks, mum, dad, grandparent, kids etc. I was telling my mate they was doing better than where I live with very high mask compliance. That was last month. Some areas of Kent are very densely populated and deprived. Inc my home town

Yes this. Deprived area, where people are less likely to be in WFH jobs, more overcrowded or substandard housing, poorer health, etc.

Also, not in the same part of Kent but possibly connected, there's the ports at Dover. International travel helps spread Covid. Like scientific expert to the Scottish government, Professor Devi Sridhar, says, viruses move with people.

Farage country.

Maybe there is a connection with all these mask deniers etc.

I'm sure like all the other areas in Tier 3 it's a combination of factors.

Overcrowded housing - private rents are unaffordable for many hence entire families living in 1-bed flats etc.

Secondary school pupils travelling further due to grammar system and mixing of not just year groups but multiple schools on public transport each day.

Local MPs are trying to get the tiers set by district but who knows if the Govt will allow it..

www.kentonline.co.uk/malling/news/mps-call-for-borough-tier-system-238081/

The latest ONS figures for the UK were 1 in 80-85.

That is about 1250 in 100k. Just saying.

Also in Kent and although cases are higher than before in my area we are decreasing . If I'm reading the gov data report 18% down which is a good sign .

Well no, cases aren’t reducing across Kent. R is 1.17 highest in UK today.
Community incidence in under 40s is declining slightly but in over 70s it’s increasing and likely to impact on healthcare in two weeks time. The decision to suspend elective work at Medway was imminent because staffing absence was rising.
The only saving grace is low levels of seasonal respiratory disease at moment.
Critical cares across the system are very challenged despite surge beds having increased capacity.

In Kent, DH and I are Police/adult SS. It's absolutely shot up in the past few weeks, one DC just finished isolation, other just started, and two of my members of staff had to go and collect DC today owing to bubbles at school bursting. BF's DCs' school has most of the year groups home owing to C19. Had a plea from the HT at DC's school to send messages of support to teachers as everyone is done for.
It's absolutely grim.

I’m Medway. Six weeks ago our numbers were 40/100,000 it’s now 10 times that. Schools are either fully closing (mainly secondary) or having year group bubbles closing (primary and secondary).

Maybe there is a connection with all these mask deniers etc.
I can only speak for what I’ve witnessed but mask compliance has been very high in both of my local supermarkets since the summer although social distancing seems to have gone out of the window. (I haven’t been to the supermarket since the start of this lockdown, people may well be social distancing now but they weren’t a few weeks ago). At DD’s primary school more parent are wearing masks at drop off and pick up compared to just before half term.

I live near the hospital and the ambulance station and I’m definitely hearing an uptick in sirens for the last week. Just hope we can get our numbers down.