Rates of Covid-19 are finally falling in Doncaster but hospitalisation of the unvaccinated are on the rise

Doncaster health boss Dr Rupert Suckling revealed in his weekly report that Doncaster’s positivity rate is 16.3 per cent.

He said: “This week, Doncaster has followed the national pattern and seen our rates reduce quite dramatically.

“This is obviously great news but we need to view the current rates with caution, our positivity rates remain high at 16.3 per cent and, like everywhere else, the number of tests we are doing has reduced, so the positivity rate is of particular interest to us.

“Hospital admissions have continued to rise over the past week and currently stand at 39, with seven people requiring intensive care.

“To give a bit of context to these figures, what we are seeing, compared to previous waves, is that people are staying in hospital for a much shorter time, which does suggest that people in general do not seem to be as ‘unwell’ as we have seen in previous waves.

“It does also mean that the hospital figures are volatile so taking a snapshot of a particular day might not give you the most accurate picture.”

Last week the figures were the highest they have ever been in Doncaster at 888.5 per 100,000.

Dr Suckling also spoke about the link between hospitalisation and vaccination.

He said: “We are often asked about vaccination status of those in hospitals and although it is an obvious thing for people wanting to know, it is not always that easy to provide accurately - one of the reasons for this is the quick turnover of patients I described earlier.

“I can tell you that as it stands today - of those receiving care in ITU 70 per cent are not fully vaccinated.”

As always Dr Suckling recommends following safety precautions even though they are no longer required by law.

“The virus is still circulating around our communities so remember to continue to make safer choices to protect yourselves and others - wear your mask, test regularly, isolate when requires and get your vaccine as soon as you can.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Liam Hoden, editor.