Government funding will target Peterborough neighbourhoods with lowest vaccine uptake

Last week the Peterborough Telegraph revealed the city was being given £485,000 as part of a government scheme to tackle the low vaccine uptake in the city,

Today, Peterborough City Council has outlined how that money will be spent - and how it will differ from the extra resources the city was given when it was granted Enhanced Response Area Status earlier in the winter.

A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: “Peterborough was previously earmarked by the Government as an Enhanced Response Area which saw us allocated greater resource to try and boost vaccination figures and reduce the spread of Covid infections across the city.

“This new funding will be spent in a variety of ways to keep up the progress we have been making, but will be targeted specifically at harder to reach communities where vaccine uptake is at its lowest.

“We would urge everyone who is eligible to get their vaccine and booster jabs, as this is the best way to prevent serious illness and the virus from spreading.

“Details of where to get a jab can be found at: https://www.thevaccinators.co.uk/.”

Some of the ways the money will be spent include recruiting voluntary community champions into paid roles, with one person to be based in each of the eight worst performing areas to work alongside residents, businesses and community leaders.

Training on Covid-19 and the vaccination programme, as well as the factors that affect the vulnerability of the groups being targeted.

Programme management via local charity Compas which support EU nationals.

Improving data to gain a better understanding of the demographics in each of the highlighted areas so we can establish specific approaches to target excluded and disengaged groups

Improving communications, for instance through webinars hosted by community connectors, drop-in information and door-to-door engagement.

Offering grants of up to £80,000 for innovative projects which can target groups or communities where uptake is at its lowest.

COVID cases are now falling in Peterborough after reaching record levels earlier in January.

The latest data shows that the case rate on January 11 was 1,587.2 cases per 100,000 people - down from a pandemic high of 1,755 on January 5.

However, the number of people in hospital remains high - on January 10 there were 113 COVID patients in North West Anglian NHS Foundation Trust hospitals - the highest number since March last year.

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