‘Everybody in Peterborough should be concerned about rise in coronavirus cases’

Peterborough currently lies eighth in the national league tables for the rates of new cases per 100,000 of population.

After initially seeing a drop in cases when lockdown measures were eased, figures show that the city now has a higher rate of cases compared with other areas.

Dr Liz Robin, director of public health for Peterborough City Council, said all residents should be concerned about the rates.

She said: “The figures show we have a high rate of cases compared to the national average.

“These are community cases - it is not about people turning up to hospital, these are people who have turned up at the testing centres, or who have ordered tests online.

“They are tending to be people of a working age.

“While we are still at under a quarter of the cases seen in Leicester when they were locked down, over the past week to ten days we have seen the number of cases rising.

“This is a concern, and all our residents need to be aware about this. COVID 19 has not gone away anywhere in Peterborough and we all need to work together in the community to bring it under control.

“Residents need to continue to socially distance - two metres or one metre with mitigation, people need to continue to wash their hands.

“The new rules for face coverings in shops and on public transport are to be welcomed.

“It is also vital that people go and get a test if they are showing symptoms, and stay at home, with your household, if you test positive. The only reason to go out if you have symptoms is to get a test.

“We are increasing testing capacity in Peterborough, we have opened the mobile centre in Gladstone Park and we are looking at opening another centre.

“As we test more people, the figures will go up, and we all need to be aware of that.

“If you are contacted by test and trace, you need to stay at home for two weeks. It doesn’t matter if you have a negative test in that period as the virus can incubate for two weeks. You must stay at home for those two weeks.

Yesterday Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, Deputy Leader of Peterborough City Council and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Public Health, said there were concerns about the rates of infection in the PE1 area, as well as in Paston and Ravensthorpe areas.

But Dr Robin said: “All our residents need to be alert and take extra care. Nobody wants Peterborough to go into lockdown, it would hit the economy, be bad for children’s education, but we need to turn around this rising trend and make sure we are going in the right direction.

“If you have to isolate at home, it is hard, and we know we are asking a lot of people. But there is support out there with our hub.

“Now is not the time to relax.

“Businesses have done so much to stay COVID safe here, and we are working with community leaders, who have been fantastic at getting the message across.”

The Gladstone Park Mobile Testing Site will be available between 10am and 3pm each day.

Anyone with symptoms can book a test by visiting www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-COVID-19-19 Those unable to access the internet can call 119 to book a test.

Key workers can log on to the self-referral portal www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-essential-workers. They will be offered a drop-down list of local options for testing including nearby mobile units.

People can also attend the mobile testing unit if they haven’t booked an appointment, although it is advisable to do so to avoid having to wait.

The mobile testing unit has a capacity of 300 tests per day as standard with the possibility to carry the relevant equipment for up to 500 tests.

For more information relating to Peterborough City Council support in relation to coronavirus, visit https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/healthcare/public-health/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-overview

MORE: No plans for local Peterborough lockdowns as city still sits in top 10 for coronavirus cases