Covid Infection Rate Falls Again But the County Still Faces Stricter Tier 2

Published on: 1 Dec, 2020
Updated on: 1 Dec, 2020

By Martin Giles

Covid infection rates in Guildford borough and across Surrey have continued to fall over the past week as the county, now controversially treated as one unit, is about to face Tier 2 restrictions.

These are the first decreases recorded in consecutive weeks since the second wave started in September.

But the government’s infection rate map shows big discrepancies still within Guildford borough where the rate in the central two areas defined on the map is much higher than in the surrounds.

Schools are thought to be where infection can spread easily and the unsurprising cluster of infections in Guildford County School could have caused the higher figures.

New data reveals Covid-related admissions by individual hospital. Despite increased infections, there were only 13 admissions at the Royal Surrey County Hospital last week, and 18 in the week before.

Newly released data shows Covid-related hospital admissions by the hospital. Three of the Surrey hospital totals are up but The Royal Surrey’s and St Peter’s week-by-week figures were down.

But four Covid-linked deaths were reported last week, the highest weekly figure so far in the second wave.

The much higher rate of infections, detected through much higher levels of testing, does not seem to be materialising into the number of hospital cases and deaths we suffered in the first wave.

That disparity, and the variation of infection rates within counties, is likely to increase pressure on the government to reconsider their Three Tier policy with its consequent impact on businesses.

But Guildford MP Angela Richardson is unlikely to join those Conservatives who are planning to vote against the government today. She is a PPS (Parliamentary Private Secretary), and government appointees are often aspiring MPs who normally don’t rock the boat.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove, the MP for Surrey Heath, including Ash, will also support the government but it will be interesting to see how Jeremy Hunt (Waverley), Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley) and Jonathan Lord (Woking) vote tomorrow when the government seeks Parliamentary approval for the introduction of the new, stricter tiers.