The record surge in Salford Covid cases from the easing of restrictions is receding but health officials remain cautious.
The coronavirus has been present in the UK for almost 19 months. It has forced us to stay indoors and away from our loved ones.
On July 19 -or “freedom day”- Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lifting of lockdown restrictions despite health officials warning him not to.
The graph above shows Salford’s new cases per 100,000 people.
On July 19, Salford experienced the highest number of cases per 100,000 people ever, at 726.3.
This spike came about due to the lifting of restrictions on venues like nightclubs and the wearing of a mask no longer being mandatory.
Before this peak, the highest rate was 656.8 in November 2020.
Before July 19, cases were steadily rising, which is what caused health officials to caution the government on their plans to lift restrictions.
The rise in cases was caused by the introduction of the latest Covid-19 variant, which spreads from person to person easier than the older variants.
However, Salford is currently showing a fall in new cases.
Meanwhile the number of Salfordians receiving their first and second dose of the Covid vaccine is steadily rising.
As shown above, 1,499 people received their first dose and 6,265 received their second dose in the week to July 29.
With vaccination rollout being a slow but steady process, 70.6 per cent of the Salford community have received their first dose and 54% have had their second dose.
Comparing the two graphs and the data they show, it is likely that Salford’s cases per 100,000 people will continue to lower. This prediction is based on the trends of the large spikes followed by slow falls in cases around critical pandemic events such as the lifting of a lockdown or freedom day.
However, the Director of Public Health for Salford, Dr. Muna Abdel Aziz, has issued a warning on the Salford Council website, stating that the fall in cases can be partly explained by a drop in testing rates.
Despite the decrease in infections, case rates have remained at a still relatively high level. Salford council has written on its website: “As case rates remain high and we still have more people to come forward to be vaccinated, we are asking local people to continue to use face coverings in all enclosed public places, including public transport, shops, public buildings and so on.”
It also urges people to wash their hands regularly, meet friends and family outdoors, and come forward for their first and second doses of vaccinations.
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