Doncaster 16 and 17-year-olds urged to get Covid jab as soon as called
The Borough's public health director says rates are going down but are still higher than other parts of the country
Last updated 9th Aug 2021
Doncaster’s rate of Covid-19 infections has fallen by over a quarter in just a week but cases are still higher than most areas of the UK, the council top public health boss has said.
Dr Rupert Suckling, director of public health at DMBC, said rates fell by more than 30 per cent to the end of July 31.
Dr Suckling also mentioned the news that 16 and 17 year-olds across the country will be invited to have a Covid-19 jab and he urged the cohort to come forward and get one but no date has been set to begin the roll-out.
He said: “The more people we have vaccinated, the more chance we have of getting the pandemic under control and less disruption we will see through the winter."
Infection rates in South Yorkshire
In the latest data, for the week up to 3rd August, Sheffield has the highest infection rate in South Yorkshire, at 492.5 cases per hundred thousand people.
Rotherham recorded a rate of 364.6, Doncaster was 343.0, and Barnsley 317.7.
The national average is 269.8 cases per hundred thousand people.
Doncaster rates going down
In Doncaster for the week to 31st July, the rate of positive PCR tests has also fallen again with just over 1 in 10 now testing positive for the virus.
Figures also show that rates of the over 60s, who are more likely to end up in hospital with Covid-19, also fell again.
On vaccinations, over 70 per cent of Doncaster adults are now double-jabbed with 81 per cent having one jab.
Dr Suckling said: “We’ve seen a downward trend in case rates continue with rates falling by over 30 per cent in the last week.
“Our positivity rate has fallen to 11.5 per cent so of all of those people getting tested just over 1 in 10 have a positive PCR test result.
“This is really good news and it’s particularly pleasing that the rates in our over 60s are falling as well as this is the rate that is directly linked to hospitalisations.
“Having said that, we do still have comparatively high rates compared to other places in the country and we would really like to see these figures fall further before schools return in September.”