Positive Covid rates in Powys are falling

THE thoughts of the health chiefs in charge of the fightback against the Covid-19 pandemic are with the Powys families who have lost loved ones to the illness.

On Tuesday, January 26, the UK passed the figure of 100,000 deaths from coronavirus.

At the start of Powys Teaching Health Board meeting on Wednesday, January 27, PTHB chair, Professor Vivienne Harpwood, noted the grim milestone before the Chief Executive, Carol Shillabeer gave her report to the board which focussed on coronavirus.

Mrs Shillabeer said:

“Yesterday was a very sombre day for the UK and  we recognise that people in Powys are sadly within those figures.”

“It is a grave point in the pandemic.”

Covid-19 rates in Powys have been falling steadily during the last couple of weeks as the Wales lockdown which has been in place since December 20, starts to work in bringing the rate of infection down.

Mrs Shillabeer continued:

“The Covid case rate in Powys has been falling, not as quickly as we would have hoped, we all recognise the issues with the new variants.

“Nonetheless it’s important to recognise the efforts that are being made in terms of the restrictions on people’s lives, to reducing the case rate here in Powys.”

In recent days, reports of the grim reality of dealing with patients suffering from Covid-19 in hospital Intensive Care Units, have been shown by news broadcasters.

Mrs Shillabeer explained that hospitals dealing with patients from Powys had been under the same intensive pressure.

Mrs Shillabeer, said: “We know services have been under a huge amount of pressure.

“I do want to recognise that this has been affecting our colleagues across the border in the English (NHS) Trusts and in South Wales that provide care for Powys people.”

She added that while the position in recent weeks is “stabilising,” for the time being, health services in Powys as in the rest of Wales and the UK will be focussing on emergency care.

Data shows that the seven-day rate positive rate for Covid-19 has fallen to 157.1 per 100,000 for Wednesday, January 27.

Earlier in the month, on January 10 the rate had reached 241.6 per 100,000.

For several days the rate had been consistently above  220 per 100,000.

According to the Officer of National Statistics (ONS) figures there have been 164 deaths (up to January 16) attributed either wholly or partly to Covid-19.