Six more Doncaster Covid 19 deaths - but infection rates are starting to fall

Newly released NHS figures revealed the latest deaths in statistics released this afternoon.

But earlier today, it was revealed that infection rates in Doncaster have dropped on last week.

Doncaster currently is the 16th worst place in England with a rate of 479.0 cases per 100,000 people – a total of 1,494 infections.

However, that number was down from the October 29 figures when there were 1,705 cases and a rate of 546.7.

On Friday, Dr Rupert Suckling, Doncaster’s director of public health also expressed hope that the rate was starting to flatten out and that Doncaster was ‘starting to turn the curve.’

The six deaths were recorded in the Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust area.

The Trust covers Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Worksop’s Bassetlaw Hospital and Mexborough’s Montagu Hospital.

Dr Suckling has urged people to continue to follow the rules – and the news comes amid mounting hopes that a coronavirus vaccine could be rolled out to people before Christmas following yesterday’s announcement that drug giant Pfizer has produced a vaccine it says works in 90% of people.

He said: "We should stay at home as much as possible.

"I realise that these restrictions will be very challenging for us all over the next four weeks, but we must try and do all we can to keep our infection rates as low as possible.

“There is some evidence that this rate may be starting to flatten and we may be starting to turn the curve. So I want to thank you for all the efforts that you've made to support us and to help that rate flatten but I do want to ask us all to keep doing what we're doing.

"Keep maintaining our distance, keep washing our hands and wearing face coverings to see how quickly we can bring that number down. If we can all remember face, space and hands, we will have a better chance of leaving the national restrictions as quickly as possible.

“Together I'm sure we can do what we need to, to bring down the infection rate. So let's do it for Doncaster.”

On Thursday, DBTHT said it was caring for a total of 188 Covid-19 patients.