Covid-19: Northamptonshire health boss calls for continued safety measures

Northamptonshire director of public health Lucy Wightman said vaccination is "great but it's not a silver bullet"

A public health boss has called for people to continue wearing face coverings and practice social distancing where they can.

Lucy Wightman, director of public health for Northamptonshire, said the county has "got to make sure we're using all of the tools in the box".

A further 763 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the county in the latest 24-hour period.

"Vaccination is great but it's not a silver bullet," Ms Wightman said.

Some schools in Northamptonshire reintroduced masks in communal areas last month

In the week up to 17 October, Northampton recorded the highest number of cases in the county at 1,376 cases or 613.5 per 100,000 of the population.

But the highest number of cases per 100,000 people were in East Northamptonshire at 720.3, a 9% week-on-week increase and Wellingborough, which had a figure of 743.0, a decrease of 7% week-on-week.

"We need people to be getting all of their doses of the vaccination including the booster when they're eligible," Ms Wightman said.

"But that doesn't negate the need for us to still be testing on a regular basis, to still be using face coverings in crowded spaces and for us to be social distancing where we can, think about who we're mixing with on a regular basis and just basic things like handwashing.

"I haven't dropped that narrative, I think other people have forgotten how effective some of those things are and sadly we're seeing the consequences of that."

Case rates in Northamptonshire

Kettering has seen a 20% decrease in case rates week-on-week when at the end of September it had the highest rate of new Covid-19 cases in the country

Corby: 600.9 cases per 100,000 people, an 12% week-on-week increase

South Northamptonshire: 587.5 cases per 100,000 people, a 10% week-on-week increase

East Northamptonshire: 720.3 cases per 100,000 people, a 9% week-on-week increase

Northampton: 613.5 cases per 100,000 people, a 5% week-on-week increase

Daventry: 662.4 cases per 100,000 people, a 6% week-on-week decrease

Wellingborough: 743 cases per 100,000 people, a 7% week-on-week decrease

Kettering: 557.7 cases per 100,000 people, a 20% week-on-week decrease

Figures for the week to 17 October

It has also been revealed that the county is set to get a second mobile lateral flow testing van in the coming weeks.

Lateral flow tests are recommended twice a week for people who do not have symptoms and the vans can be used in communities where take up of testing has been lower.

Keri Watson, project manager for the test and trace team in the county, said: "Asymptomatic testing is still so crucial to enable us to continue through winter and into next year and carry on trying to get back to as normal lives as we can.

"By getting your twice weekly asymptomatic testing you are knowing that you're keeping yourselves, your family and your community safe because you are not potentially infectious."

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