Covid case numbers across the Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge area are continuing to rise – but hospitalisations and deaths remain low, according to the latest official Government figures released this week.
The new official data shows some of the largest local case numbers since the pandemic began, cases of serious illness and deaths remain very low.
Burnham-On-Sea‘s official weekly figures show there were 84 new positive Covid cases in the week to January 1st, a rise from 31 new cases during the week before. Burnham’s official case rate is 1,107.4 per 100,000 people.
Highbridge‘s figures have also risen, with 105 new positive cases reported in the week to January 1st, an increase from 46 during the week before. Highbridge’s official Covid case rate is 1,194.8 per 100,000 people.
Berrow, Brean, Brent Knoll and Lympsham have also seen a rise in Covid cases. The villages had a combined 122 new cases reported during the week to January 1st, up from 58 new cases during the week before. Berrow and Brent Knoll’s official Covid case rate is 1,098.3 per 100,000 people.
The Huntspills, Pawlett and Woolavington have also seen a rise in cases with a combined 76 new cases reported during the week to January 1st, up from 34 new cases during the week before. The villages have a official Covid case rate of 911.1 per 100,000 people.
Meanwhile, Wedmore and Mark‘s Covid figures have also risen, with 83 new positive cases reported in the week to January 1st, an increase from 33 during the week before. The villages’ official Covid case rate is 1,213.8 per 100,000 people.
Between December 29 and January 4th, 973 people in the south west region went into hospital with coronavirus, an increase of 35.5 per cent compared to the previous seven days.
There were no officially recorded Covid deaths in Sedgemoor between December 31 and January 6th of people within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. There were 852 patients in hospital in the South West with coronavirus on Thursday, of which 53 are on a mechanical ventilator.
There was positive news on the vaccination rollout. Up to January 5th, 99,786 people had been given a first dose of the vaccine; 93,454 people had received a second dose; and 71,617 people had been given a booster or third dose. Visit the Grab a Jab site
for information about walk-in vaccination clinics in Somerset.
Professor Trudi Grant, Director of Public Health for Somerset County Council, says: “The vaccination remains the best form of defence that we have against Covid, and I would urge anyone who is yet to receive their first dose, second dose or booster to step forward when invited.”
“There are extra clinics held across Somerset this week to give local people the best opportunity to get their vaccinations, and I would encourage anyone who has not already done so to book their jab and help play their part to stop the spread of the virus.”
In total, the provisional data shows over 1.3 million vaccinations have been given in Somerset, including just under 340,000 booster jabs. This means that approximately 80% of eligible Somerset people have received their booster jab. However, there is still an estimated 90,000 eligible people in Somerset that have not yet received their booster jab (of these about 6,000 have only had their second dose in the last couple of weeks, so won’t yet be eligible yet for their boosters).
