Three-quarters of Over 80s Have Had Their First Jab As Infection Rates Continue to Fall

Published on: 2 Feb, 2021
Updated on: 3 Feb, 2021

By Martin Giles

As the focus shifts to the discovery of South African variant cases, Covid infection rates across the county and the borough, once again, decrease.

Only Elmbridge, which before Christmas had the highest rate in the county, now has a lower 7-day running rate than Guildford.

Perhaps surprisingly hospital admissions are showing little of the expected lag behind the infection rate and are dropping in concert. This week’s decrease in the South East region is the biggest since the second wave has waned.

But deaths are on the increase and sadly, there are likely to be more, as cases of those critically affected progress.

See: Local Covid-19 Stats

The infection rate in all of Surrey’s boroughs and districts fell. Within Guildford borough the only area to have a rising rate was Horsley and Effingham.

Overall in the region, comparison of the infection rate map shows just how much the situation has improved in the last few weeks but any sighs of relief will be held back until the impact of the new variants can be more extensively assessed.

Infection rate map January 18
Infection rate map February 1

Good progress on the vaccination programme has been reported. 12.3% of the NHS Surrey Heartlands area, population 840,000, have now received their first dose and 73% of all over-80s.

But in England, only London has a lower rate than the South East region.