Covid positive test rates hit highest level in Thurrock

The borough's director of pubic health said despite high infection rates hospitalisations were not being driven by the virus

Thurrock recorded its highest rates of positive Covid tests in the first few weeks of this year.

The district's director of public health Jo Broadbent said 40% of tests were coming back as positive, while the infection rate had risen to 1,800 per 100,000 of the population this month.

The borough also had the lowest vaccination uptake in Essex, she said.

She added that more people were in hospital than at this time last year, but fewer required ventilators.

Some 60% of hospital patients had been admitted with other conditions, but had then been found to test positive for Covid, said Ms Broadbent when she addressed Thurrock Council's health and wellbeing committee last week.

She said: "Our positivity rate has been over 40% in the first couple of weeks of the year, the highest we've ever seen."

Positivity rate is the percentage of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 after taking a test.

Ms Broadbent said the rate of infection had begun to show a downturn and Basildon University Hospital was coping well, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Latest figures from the government's coronavirus dashboard showed the case rate had dropped to 876 per 100,000 of the population in the week to 14 January.

Jo Broadbent says vaccination rates in Thurrock are the lowest in the county.

Ms Broadbent added: "Despite having had the highest rates that we've had over the past few weeks, it hasn't translated to the same level of pressure on the health and care system as it did last Christmas."

Despite an increase in hospitalisations she said the numbers requiring ventilators were much lower than the same time last year.

Ms Broadbent also told councillors vaccination rates had stalled.

"Our vaccination rates in Thurrock remain lower than many of our neighbours. We have the lowest uptake in Essex," she said.

A new push for vaccinations will take place using a £485,0000 grant from the community vaccination champions fund.