County Council Warns Guildford After Rise in Coronavirus Cases

Published on: 9 Oct, 2020
Updated on: 19 Oct, 2020

As announcements of further pandemic restrictions are awaited, the significant rise in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in Guildford, reported in The Dragon on Monday (October 5), was confirmed in a Surrey County Council warning to the borough this week (October 7).

See new hospital admission graphs below.

Ruth Hutchinson, Surrey’s director of Public Health said: “We are continually monitoring the data across the county, and we now need to ask residents in Guildford to help us stop the spread.

Comparisons with “first-wave” data are difficult because far more people are being tested now than they were in March and April.

“Rates of infections are rising fast across the country, and Surrey is no exception. Over the past few days, we’ve seen significant rises in positive tests in Guildford. We have issued similar warnings to Elmbridge, Woking, Waverley, Runnymede and Spelthorne, where infection rates are also rising fast.

“We’re at a crucial point and now is the time to do everything you can to limit the spread of the virus.

“I can’t say it enough; keep washing your hands, wear face coverings when required, limit the number of households you are in contact with and don’t get together in groups of more than six. Social distancing is one of the best ways to limit the spread of the virus.

“It has been a really tough year for all of us, and I know people are starting to feel ‘Covid fatigue’. But things are changing quickly and we need to get our infection rates back down.

“If we all follow the guidelines we still have the chance to get the situation in these areas under control and avoid any further restrictions.”

Recently released data on Covid related hospital admissions show that there is a major discrepancy currently between the cases in the North of England and the South. But the numbers are increasing here too.

Source NHS England

The hospital admission data is not issued for individual local authority areas. The population of the South East Region, which excludes London, is 9.2 million. Source NHS England

According to the BBC, “Data presented to MPs by England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, appears to put the hospitality sector in the firing line, given that parts of society such as schools and universities are being kept open.”

A slide shown at the meeting lists hospitality as the most frequent setting for coronavirus exposure and supermarkets second. Source: BBC

See also: Local Covid-19 stats

If you have coronavirus symptoms, a persistent cough, high fever, or a change in smell or taste, you should book a test by calling 119 or visiting www.nhs.co.uk/coronavirus.

The county council message remains: “Preventative measures are the best way to avoid local lockdowns.”