Thanet has experienced a rise in covid cases, from 9.9 per 100,000 people on May 4 to 30.3 per 100,000 up to May 11. The UK rate is 23.8.
But the number of people dying with covid cited as a cause is not rising with no deaths recorded between May 3-May 15.
Data recorded for East Kent Hospitals Trust – responsible for main sites at QEQM Margate, WHH Ashford and Kent & Canterbury – shows just four covid in-patients across the whole trust with no-one on mechanical ventilation as of May 11.
The latest step in the roadmap out of covid restrictions takes place from tomorrow (May 17).
Restriction changes
Indoor hospitality can reopen and indoor entertainment can resume, including cinemas, museums, and children’s play areas.
Up to 6 people or two households will be able to meet indoors and up to 30 people outdoors.
All remaining outdoor entertainment can reopen, such as outdoor cinemas and performances. Some larger events will be able to take place, including conferences, theatre and concert performances, and sports events. Restrictions on the number of attendees will remain as set out in the Roadmap.
The Transport Secretary has confirmed that international travel can begin to reopen allowing people to go on foreign holidays to ‘green’ list countries. Strict border control measures will remain in place, including pre-departure tests and a PCR test on or before day two of their arrival back in the UK.
Face coverings will no longer be needed in classrooms or for students in communal areas in secondary schools and colleges. Twice weekly home testing will remain to control infection rates.
All remaining university students will be eligible to return to in-person teaching and learning and should get tested twice a week upon return.
Up to 30 people will now be able to attend weddings, receptions, and commemorative events including wakes, as well as standalone life-cycle events. These can take place outdoors or at any indoor Covid secure venue that is permitted to open. The number of people able to attend a funeral will be determined by the number that can be safely accommodated in the venue with social distancing in place.
Thirty people will be able to attend a support group or parent and child group. The limit will not apply to children under 5.
Organised adult sport and exercise classes can resume indoors and saunas and steam rooms may reopen.
Care homes residents will be able to have up to five named visitors, with two visitors able to attend at once provided they are tested and follow infection control measures. Residents will also have greater freedoms to leave their home without having to isolate on their return.
Indian covid variant
However, the emergence of another strain of the virus – first identified in India – means the programme of second jabs for those in the 9 priority groups is being brought forward to 8 weeks after the first vaccination rather than 12 weeks.
The variant is most prevalent in the north east, with some cases detected in London, and has also resulted in surge testing in areas such as Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.
Data on the B1.617.2 variant published by PHE shows the number of cases across the UK has risen from 520 last week to 1,313 cases this week.
At the most recent covid briefing Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the latest restriction lifting would go ahead but, in terms of lifting the remaining restrictions on June 21, he added: “If the virus is significantly more transmissible, we are likely to face some hard choices.”
Current data, he said, showed: “no evidence to suggest our vaccines will be less effective in protecting people against severe illness and hospitalisation.”
Vaccinations
Health services across the UK have now administered a total of 56,677,012 million vaccines between 8 December and 15 May, including 36,573,354 million people with their first dose (69.4%) and 20,103,658 million with their second (38.2%).
The vaccines have been rolled out to those in their 30s. Covid vaccination clinics through the Kent Community Health Trust have resumed at the Thanet Saga site. A GP hub also runs from the site. Clinics are also being run at various GP Surgeries.
To book online go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
What a surprise-a few weeks after the second step the number shoots up. Wonder how high it will be in a months time as step 3 with indoor close contact & the government & media encouraging people to hug comes into effect tomorrow? Is it the vaccine or the lockdown working? Even our glorious leader admitted it was the latter being mainly responsible recently. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/lockdown-covid-19-cases-pandemic-boris-johnson-b929418.html
It is inevitable that Covid cases rise again, and that isn’t necessarily such a big deal. What IS important is that far fewer get seriously ill, and that is what the vaccine is for.
No deaths and very little serious illness in Thanet in past few weeks.
Either the vaccines are doing their job, or we’re all wasting our time.
I think it’s absolutely crazy to open up foreign travel. Look what happened with the India variant. By permitting foreign travel, the same sort of thing is almost certain to happen.
It’s ok, because of the Indian variant, they are now using the Pun-Jab, to vaccinate.
Thanks for injecting a bit of humour!
Yep, people are so selfish they cannot just forgo overseas travel until next year.
Thanet is the only place in Kent to have shown a sudden rise in cases in the last week or so. The rate per 100K in the rest of Kent has remained more or less static in the same period.
Boris said the roadmap is on track for step3 easements.
Anyway,reopening of indoor hospitality has to be welcomed. some will disagree but its not compulsory to visit the newly opened venues and those moaning minnies should pipe down.
Even have a new microbar opening, The Pub Ramsgate opens today.
Absolutely (we’re off to our favourite Thanet pub for an indoors meal today, can’t wait!).
Looks like there will be another attempted lockdown later in the year blaming more spurious mutations (which have always existed for flu), false positive testing amongst both well people and the jabbed, as well side effects from the experimental gene therapy being put down as covid. The mainstream media fear propaganda messages will ramp up again to frighten many into compliance while there is now complete censorship on the many medical and scientific experts globally questioning all of this with solid data. No wonder there were many protestors outside the BBC in London, Salford, Cardiff and other centres across the UK on Saturday shouting ‘Shame on you’. There are now sizeable protests on all of this with many tens of thousands across the UK and not an iota of coverage in the mainstream. Or on the legal cases developing worldwide showing false data. Interesting times with those awake to this all (maintaining healthy immune systems) and those asleep and willingly walking into a permanent lockdown dystopia.
Spot on! The sheep will spend its entire life fearing the wolf, only to be eaten by the shepherd…
So thanet went from an estimated 15ish people with covid to an estimated 45ish . Plus there are only 4 in hospital with covid out of a total number of 720,000 under the care of the ekuht.
Nothing to raise the slightest concern.
It seems that the vaccine is doing its job: an excellent reason to get vaccinated.
The danger is that whilst ever CV is spreading, there is a likelihood of a mutation being created that does not respond to our current vaccines. We could be back to April 2020 I a couple of weeks.
That’s why, for the time being, we should exercise great caution in what we do in socializing.