“WE’RE now several weeks into this national lockdown.
At our weekly briefing on Monday evening with the County Council, Public Health and local NHS bosses, myself and my fellow Worcestershire MPs were told infection rates are beginning to plateau across the county.
By staying at home and following the rules, we’re bringing this new variant under control.
However, although infection rates are beginning to plateau, there will be a lag before we see this knock-on effect on the number of cases and hospital admissions.
The pressure on the Alex and Worcestershire Royal continues to be high. Once again I’d like to thank our amazing doctors, nurses and healthcare staff for all they’re doing in this pandemic.
The vaccine rollout gives us all hope that life will soon begin to return to normal – and with every jab this becomes more possible.
Across Herefordshire and Worcestershire – the area our local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group covers – as of Monday 76,000 people had received their first dose, ten per cent of Worcestershire’s population.
This includes 81 per cent of all care home residents and 74 per cent of all over 80s.
Due to this excellent progress, vaccines will now be offered to the over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable.
Remember, the NHS will contact you when it’s your turn to receive the vaccine.
We’re certainly on course to have reached the Government’s target of offering the first dose of the vaccine to the top four priority groups by mid-February.
On behalf of everyone in Redditch, thank you to our amazing NHS and everyone involved in the rollout of the vaccines. You’re doing an amazing job!“
RACHEL MACLEAN (Redditch Standard, January 22, 2021 edition)
