Suffolk Covid-19: More than 50% of new cases in those aged up to 19

Stuart Keeble, Public Health Suffolk director, said schools were an "area of focus"

More than 50% of new Covid cases in Suffolk were in those up to the age of 19.

Twenty-two schools and colleges in the county have 10 or more Covid-19 cases, with about 1,200 pupils testing positive in the past fortnight.

A local outbreak engagement board on Friday heard teams were largely working with schools because there had been "very little in wider workplaces".

Measures are being taken to reintroduce face masks and restrict some visits.

Stuart Keeble, Public Health Suffolk director, said: "[Schools] are experiencing higher number of cases than the end of term last year, but that shouldn't be that surprising because with the roadmap we have removed some of those measures to support and enable education to go forward.

"The assisted testing went very well at secondary schools, and we didn't see the same level of cases we expected to see, but now we have definitely seen an increase in numbers.

"Clearly, it is an area of focus."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the board meeting also heard that nearly three quarters of 16, 17 and 18 year olds in Suffolk had received a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

About 7% of 12 and 15 year olds have already been jabbed in the first week of vaccines being offered, which will continue to the October half-term.

Melanie Craig, chief officer with Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: "We are really pleased with how this next stage of the programme is going."

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