Stoke-on-Trent residents urged to get tested weekly to ensure timely exit from lockdown
Health bosses in the city have issued a plea.
Residents in Stoke-on-Trent are being urged to get rapid result coronavirus tests at least once a week, as case rates in the city have plateaued and are beginning to show signs of a slight increase.
The warning comes from city and health leaders at Stoke-on-Trent City Council who say it is crucial that residents continue to have regular tests if the national roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions is to be achieved.
Council leader Abi Brown said: "We have all taken a lot of heart from the national plans to ease the country out of lockdown, and I speak to so many residents and businesses in the city who are as eager as I am for us to move on from this incredibly debilitating virus.
"But let me be really clear: we won’t get out of the restrictions if we don’t stop the spread. To do this, we must all get tested, and tested regularly.
"Last week we made 13,920 lateral flow tests available at 15 community venues all over Stoke-on-Trent. This week we have 16 venues... and we have a total of 17,808 tests available."
Latest figures show that the seven-day coronavirus rate is 143.9 cases per 100,000 people, from February 12 to February 18, a decrease of 13.6% per cent on the previous seven days. The positivity rate – the percentage of people who have had a coronavirus test and tested positive – has also decreased to 5.8% per cent.
Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, director of adult social care, health integration and wellbeing, said: "While it is good news that case rates have fallen, we have reached a point where they have plateaued, and concerningly, there are signs that cases are rising slightly in the last couple of days.
"The significance of the role of regularly testing in helping to stop the spread of the disease cannot be underestimated. The government’s roadmap has made it clear that the community testing programme is being extended until at least the end of June. Social mixing is expected to increase over the next few weeks, so it is really important that we all get tested, particularly those who have not had a vaccination yet and those who are key workers who cannot work from home. Our data shows that case rates are highest in Fenton East, Hanley Park and Shelton, and Penkhull and Stoke; we’re urging people in these areas to please get tested."