Covid: Cambridgeshire given continued support until Christmas

Covid vaccinations for children aged 12-15 increased during the first five weeks of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough being an Enhanced Response Area

The government has extended extra Covid support across Cambridgeshire in the run-up to Christmas.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's director of public health Jyoti Atri asked for Enhanced Response Area (ERA) status to be extended by three weeks.

It is hoped the continued support will help reduce cases, especially in schools.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are the only areas in England with Enhanced Response status.

Suffolk had been an ERA but its five-week designation ended last week and the county did not apply for an extension.

Increased interventions in schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will continue until the end of term - including identification of close and household contacts and daily lateral flow testing, including in primary schools at parents' and guardians' discretion.

Ms Atri said: "We are pleased this extension will allow us to continue measures that have only just got going and need longer. This will support schools where there are significant issues with Covid until the Christmas break, and continue to drive up vaccine uptake."

Currently 42% of all infections in the county were in the in 0-17 age group, Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council said.

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Included in the extension, which expires on Christmas Eve, is the continued use of a national surge rapid response vaccination team to tackle low uptake areas.

While an ERA there has been a rapid increase in vaccinations for children aged 12 to 15 in most areas, according to the councils.

"Pre-ERA we were considerably below both the England and East of England average for the numbers of 12-15 year-olds who were vaccinated. Now all areas in Cambridgeshire are above the England average and most are also above the East of England average, too," Ms Atri said.

Richard Howitt, chair of Cambridgeshire's Adults and Health Committee, said: "These measures continue to be needed to help manage the tremendous pressure on our hospitals and essential services that a peak of infection rates early in the New Year is likely to bring."

People are encouraged to take lateral flow tests before meeting friends and family, as well as to continue wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

The latest figures show the rates of infection, per 100,000 of population, for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in the week to 3 December were as follows:

• Cambridge increased by 29% to 555, up from 430

• East Cambridgeshire increased 10% to 520, up from 471

• South Cambridgeshire increased 4% to 606, up from 582

• Peterborough had no change with cases at 463.