Rise in Covid-19 cases among younger Doncaster people but rates in over 60s and hospital admissions fall

Councillors at a recent Covid-19 Oversight Board meeting heard that virus cases were increasing in the unvaccinated school and working age population across the borough – mainly those younger than 39.

But recent data also shows the number of people in Doncaster hospitals fell by more than 50 per cent from the start of March. At the beginning of the month, there were 110 Covid-19 patients which included 10 in intensive care.

But by Monday, March 22, there were 52 ‘coronavirus patients and two people in intensive care.

Public health officer Laurie Mott said the Covid-19 rates in the over 80s was so low that they had one positive case in the latest round of data.

Routine testing regimes were also picking up more cases in schools and health bosses said they would continue to monitor the situation across education settings.

The meeting also heard the council had identified three Covid-19 clusters in Hexthorpe and Balby.

Mr Mott told councillors and the public health team had identified clusters on King Edward Road and Belvedere in Balby as well as Shirley Road in Hexthorpe with 45 positive cases between them.

Dr Rupert Suckling, director of public health at Doncaster Council, said the current trend showed the vaccination programme was working as intended and said nearly 130,000 adults across Doncaster had at least one dose of the jab.

“Cases overall are rising but the good news is with these other age groups, the older working age, 40 to 59 year olds – their rates are continuing to fall,” Mr Mott said.

“But the really really good news, certainly for our hospital colleagues is what’s happening in the 60 pluses

“What you can see now is that the 80 plus rate is now 6.3, which is effectively, which effectively means we now have one person in the last seven days, who has a positive confirmed case of Covid-19.

“In other words, the rates in the 80 plus age group are now vanishingly small, and the rates in our 60 pluses, which of course are the people most likely to end up in hospital, have been continuing to fall for the last month.

“So it looks like our rates are going up but the rates in the populations which were most concerned certainly in terms of the NHS are continuing to fall.”

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