People living and working in the Hateley Heath and Newton areas of West Bromwich, along with Tividale in Oldbury are being warned to be extra cautious as we approach the Easter weekend – as Covid-19 rates in those three wards increase.
The rate of infection in Hateley Heath ward is 222 per 100,000 people, with 34 new cases in the last seven days of data (22-28 March) among people living in the area.
Comparable figures for the same period for Tividale show an infection rate of 193 per 100,000 people with 25 new cases, and for Newton ward, 191 per 100,000 people and 24 new cases.
The rates are around twice the average rate for Sandwell (96 per 100,000) as a whole.
Anyone showing symptoms must self-isolate and book a Covid-19 test at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell’s director of public health, said: “In recent weeks, Sandwell has seen one of the fastest falls in Covid-19 case rates in the country. This is a great achievement by the local community.
“Recently, however, we have seen a sharp rise in infection within these three areas.
“There has been no single large outbreak in the area. Rather there has just been a general rise in infections, with sometimes several cases within one household.
“People living and working in these areas must take extra care to avoid becoming infected and passing Covid-19 on to others.
“In particular, if you have Covid-19 symptoms, stay home and book a test. If we don’t self-isolate when we have symptoms we can put other people’s lives at risk.
“This is especially important as the variant of the virus first found in Kent that is circulating in Sandwell spreads very quickly and is linked with a higher risk of severe illness and death.”
People without symptoms who have to leave home for any reason, for example going to work, can book regular rapid Covid-19 tests at the West Bromwich Town Hall testing site – visit www.sandwell.gov.uk/testsandwell for details or, for people who cannot book online, call 0121 569 6999. These tests are only for people without symptoms.
If you are an adult without symptoms who lives with children at primary school, secondary school or college (or if you are in a support bubble or childcare bubble with another household with school age children), you can also collect rapid tests from other testing centres to use at hole, any time between 1.30pm and 7pm. Details available at www.sandwell.gov.uk/rapidhometests
Everyone should continue to follow social distancing rules – remember, hands, face and space.
You can find out if you live in these three wards by putting your postcode into our online postcode checker at www.sandwell.gov.uk/councillors/search