Peterborough comes off government coronavirus watchlist as public health chief warns against any complacency

It was announced that the city is no longer listed on the areas of concern, but this is in part because other parts of the country have seen a spike in confirmed cases, pushing Peterborough down the rankings.

People in Peterborough have been thanked for their efforts and sacrifices to reduce the spread of Covid-19 but are now being urged to keep up the good work to keep the virus at bay.

As national rates of the virus increase, people are being urged to follow the rules to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and to avoid a second lockdown.

Data released by Public Health England shows that for the most recent week, the national rate of Covid 19 cases has risen to 34.4 per 100,000 population, while Peterborough’s rate is more stable and is currently 14.3 cases per 100,000 population. As a result, the city has been removed from the national Watch List as an area of concern.

As a result, the city has been removed from the national Watchlist as an area of concern.

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The city council’s director of public health Dr Liz Robin said cases in Peterborough remain stable, but that there should be no complacency as other cities with similar demographics have seen spikes in recent weeks.

Moreover, she highlighted the fact that testing problems (which are a national issue) may be hiding the full picture in Peterborough, while she warned that the risk of catching Covid-19 remains higher now than in previous weeks.

She said: “We have seen some fantastic work taking place across Peterborough in recent months to get the messages across about the need to act responsibly and follow public health advice to limit the spread of the virus. This really has been a collective effort which has helped to reduce positive cases and avoided a local lockdown situation similar to what we have seen in other areas of the country. I cannot thank our community enough for their hard work and the sacrifices they have made for themselves, their family, friends and work colleagues.

“We must not undo this good work and allow the virus to take a grip on our city, in the way it has in other cities which are similar to our own.

“We’ve had this very rapid rise in some parts of the country and Peterborough has been much more stable and that’s why we’re off the watchlist.

“The national average rate of confirmed Covid-19 cases per 100,000 populations has been going up considerably. That’s driven largely by more northern areas of the country, although London’s going up as well.

“In Peterborough, where at the early stages of the watchlist we were in top 10 or 20 nationally of positive Covid-19 cases per 100,000, because the national rate has gone up so much, with northern authorities seeing a significant increase in cases, that means they are now top ranked while Peterborough has stayed much more stable and fallen down the rankings.

“We’ve had a fall in our cases recently, but what we’ve observed in Peterborough and nationally is a change in pattern of who is being tested.

“There are a lot more children being tested who have displaced other people being tested. Because children are quite low risk, we think some of the people who aren’t going through the testing system are more likely to be more positive.

“But the risk now is still higher so it’s very important to not be complacent.

“If you look at local authorities Peterborough are most similar to are ones which have seen a rise in cases.

“Cases of the virus are increasing nationally at an alarming rate and we are aware that the virus could be much more prevalent in our city than the latest data suggests. This may be a result of people not being able to easily access tests because of the issues with the national testing system.

“As a result I would strongly urge people to continue to follow the advice. Remember that the more households you mix with on a regular basis, the greater your chance of catching the virus. If you have symptoms, please self-isolate along with everyone you live with and continue trying to book a test.

“The city and the country are at a crucial point – please follow the advice, don’t throw away all our good work and help reduce the spread of the virus. You’ll be keeping your loved ones safe and helping to avoid a second damaging lockdown.”

Peterborough MP Paul Bristow said: ““This is fantastic news and reflects the tremendous effort in our city.

“Every part of Peterborough and every community has stepped up. I also want to pay particular tribute to the leadership shown by Peterborough City Council.

“The important thing now is not to become complacent. We all need to keep washing our hands, respect social-distancing and follow the rules. We are the proof that it works.”

Dr Robin also praised Peterborough’s community leaders for getting important messages out.

She added: “Lots of people have complied (with the rules) which is why rates are staying stable.

“The risks are higher in the central, urban areas where population density is higher and people are living closer together. I would advise people in Peterborough living and working in those areas to take particular care.”

Last week’s figure of 30.3 cases per 100,000 of population for Peterborough covered the period between August 7 and September 13.

The new case rates for Peterborough on the watchlist in recent weeks have been:

July 31 - 19.4

Aug 7 - 28.4

Aug 14 - 11.4

Aug 21 - 16.4

Aug 28 - 12.9

Sept 4 - 21.4

Sept 11 - 27.9

Sept 18 - 30.3

Sept 25 - 14.3