Coronavirus hospital admissions drop in Herefordshire

Cases of patients in hospital with coronavirus in Herefordshire have reduced to just 10, according to health chiefs.

Wye Valley NHS Trust chief executive Glen Burley said the number of hospital admissions had dropped off substantially over recent weeks.

Speaking at a trust board meeting, he said the national vaccination programmed has helped reduce the level of hospital admissions in the county.

He was also pleased with the rate of Covid-19 vaccinations in Herefordshire but highlighted concerns over possible health inequality if certain groups of people do not get access to the jab.

“We’ve got ten cases today [in hospital]. The number of admissions has fallen off quite a lot over the last few weeks,” he said.

“There is transmission in the community but the whole objective of the strategy around vaccination was to ensure we don’t have hospital admissions and mortalities.

“The national vaccination programme has moved on a lot.

“And because it has gone so well the timelines have been accelerated.

“We’ve already seen good coverage in those high-risk groups which is contributing to the reduction in hospital admissions. And long may that continue.

“One of the things we are worried about as we roll out the vaccination program is that there could be elements of community that don’t have access to the vaccine.

“We worry that some of the health inequalities that already exist could be played out as we roll out vaccinations.

“The internet is a fantastic thing, but it’s brought with it all sorts of scare stories and misinformation about vaccines as it has about Covid-19.

“We are trying to get messages out to encourage friends and family to take up the vaccine when it’s offered and to provide them with some materials which help them address some of the mistruths.

“As we look at the vaccination program of our own staff, we’ve got good coverage of staff but there are still some groups that haven’t taken up the vaccine.”

Chairman Russell Hardy encouraged members of the public to take up the offer of a Covid-19 vaccine.

“If you are offered a vaccination please take it up as soon as possible,” he said.

“We need to get the total population vaccinated to the order of 70 to 85 to get herd immunity from this awful pandemic.

“It is essential for you to go and have your vaccination done.”