Covid: Extra support for Suffolk to tackle rising cases

Suffolk has become an enhanced response area for five weeks

Extra support is being given to Suffolk to help tackle rising Covid-19 cases.

The county has become an enhanced response area (ERA) and will receive additional support, funding and resources from the government.

The targeted support, due to last five weeks, will include efforts to increase vaccination uptake.

Suffolk's director of public health said he wanted to "get ahead and stop Covid before our NHS reaches the point of no return".

In the week to 25 October, cases in East Suffolk rose from 948 to 1,109 compared to the week to 18 October, while cases dropped in West Suffolk from 1,030 to 966.

There was little change in Mid Suffolk, while cases in Babergh dropped from 476 to 348.

The rate of infection in Ipswich, which was the highest nationally, dropped by 19%.

Stuart Keeble, Suffolk's director of public health, said the challenge was to address high infection rates and related admissions to hospitals "at exactly the same time that NHS is trying to catch up on delayed treatments".

"That is why, after assessing all the data and options available to us, we have made this bid for extra help from central government," he said.

"We want to get ahead and stop Covid before our NHS reaches the point of no return."

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The county council said the extra help would include extending opening hours at vaccination centres and creating pop-up vaccination clinics within communities.

There would be help to co-ordinate door-knocking campaigns and funding for advertising to raise awareness of the virus.

It hoped it would also help to reduce transmission in schools, with increased testing and additional temporary powers.

Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal, Therese Coffey, said the "first line of defence" was vaccinations.

"I'm conscious some people are still quite scared and they're being misinformed in a variety of ways about the impact of the vaccine," she said.

"But it's important we continue to try and positively encourage people to get vaccinated and ensure the rollout of boosters is done as smoothly as possible."

The infection rate for the Ipswich district has dropped by 19%

The council said the support did not mean any additional restrictions on people's movements or actions.

Meanwhile, West Suffolk and Ipswich hospitals have suspended visiting for three weeks.

Additional measures at schools, including wearing face masks, have also been introduced.