COVID-19 Weekly Surveillance Report

• 1,349 Northamptonshire residents have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week - 20% higher than last week’s number • Mixing between households remains the greatest cause of transmission • The largest number of positive tests in the last week was found in 10 to 19 year olds, followed by 20 to 29 year olds • Locally the highest weekly rates are in (310.1 per 100,000) and (230.4 per 100,000) • All residents are being urged to take free twice weekly rapid lateral flow tests to reduce onward transmission • COVID-19 vaccinations are now available to everyone aged 18 years and over - both doses are required to give the best possible protection

Data up to 11 July 2021 Four Step Roadmap

On Monday 19 July Step 1 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 8-29 Changes Not before 17 May On Monday 19 July will move to Step March on 29 March 12 April *Review of social distancing 4 which will mark a new phase in the Government’s Children back to Rule of 6 or 2 Opening of non- Most legal restrictions on meeting Government hopes to response to the pandemic, school/college households meet essential shops others outdoors will be lifted, be in a position to moving away from outdoors hairdressers, gyms, although gatherings of over 30 people remove all legal limits stringent restrictions on zoos, holiday will remain illegal. Indoors, the ‘Rule on social contact everyone’s day-to-day campsites and of 6’ or 2 households will apply lives, towards advising personal care If you are meeting friends and family, people on how to protect services you can make a personal choice on whether to keep your distance from themselves and others, them, but you should still be cautious alongside targeted interventions to reduce risk. Outdoor Outdoor activity Funerals up to 30 Most businesses in all but the highest Government hopes to recreation/ facilities open and mourners. risk sectors will be able to reopen reopen remaining exercise with one formally organised Weddings, premises, including person outside outdoor sports receptions and nightclubs, and lift the your household commemorative restrictions on large events 15 events and performances that apply in Step 3 Care home End of ‘stay at home’ Hospitality venues Up to 30 people will be able to attend residents – one rule but work from serve people weddings, receptions and wakes, as regular visitor home if can and no outdoors well as funerals holidays

2 Everything We Do Can Stop The Spread

• It’s not too late to get jabbed. If you haven’t had your COVID-19 vaccine yet, you can pop along to one of a number of participating drop-in clinics taking place across the county this weekend where you can ‘Grab A Jab’ without an appointment. Another pop-up vaccination clinic is open on Saturday 17 July from 9am to 5pm in Market Square in town centre, as well as a host of other venues where people can get their first or second dose of the vaccine. Full details of drop-in availability can be viewed online at www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/covidvaccine. The Vaccination Centre in Moulton Park now offers drop-ins every day from 8am to 7.30pm. Drop-in time at other sites vary and people should check availability, opening hours and eligibility before visiting. Please bring along your NHS number if you have one, which you can easily find online at nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/ Anyone unable to attend a drop-in clinic can still book an appointment at existing local vaccination sites, either online at nhs.uk/coronavirus-vaccine, by calling 119 or by contacting their GP practice. • Take responsibility, take a test. Each time we leave the house and mix with others, we risk coming into contact with the virus. Around 1 in 3 people with coronavirus do not show symptoms and can therefore spread the virus to others without knowing. Testing regularly helps to reduce this risk, particularly before meeting people from outside your household. They are FREE so find your nearest pick-up point and get yours today, or order online for next day delivery. The County’s first mobile lateral flow device testing service will be on the road in the coming days. The unit will reach communities where take up of testing has been lower, educate visitors on how to use the lateral flow device tests correctly and provide a test kit to take away. • Assess each situation according to risk and be COVID Cautious and COVID Safe when around friends, family and your community. Now and in the coming months help to stop the spread of the virus: meeting in well-ventilated areas where possible such as outdoors or indoors with windows open, wearing a face covering where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet on public transport and in enclosed and crowded spaces, washing your hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day, covering your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze, staying at home if unwell to reduce the risk of passing on other illnesses onto friends/family/colleagues and others in your community, and assessing individual risks, such as clinical vulnerabilities and vaccination status when mixing with others.

3 Legal Restrictions Lift on Monday 19th July

4 COVID-19 Testing I have symptoms = PCR Test • To find out more information about local PCR testing sites visit: Northamptonshire COVID-19 Testing Update. • Tests can be booked online at NHS COVID-19 or by calling 119. Home test kits can also be ordered subject to availability. • It is vital that when you leave the house to be tested you must go straight to the testing centre and return home immediately to self- isolate until you get your results. • Find out if you can claim financial support during self-isolation here. • For the full self-isolation guidance see here. • A self-isolation support pack for residents in North and can be found here. I don’t have symptoms = Free Rapid Lateral Flow Test • Everyone in Northamptonshire can access free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing. Test kits are available for home use or at test centres, some workplaces and schools. You can order home test kits on gov.uk and get home deliveries, or you can pick up test kits at pharmacies and other local sites. The test is called a Lateral Flow Test and involves a swab of the mouth and nose and provides a result within 30 minutes. • The aim of testing people who do not have COVID-19 symptoms is to identify those who may be infectious without having symptoms in order to reduce spread of the virus. If positive, the test means you are infectious and must start self-isolating at home immediately and complete 10 days of self-isolation, along with any household contacts. • The test does not tell you if you are COVID-free, so all COVID-secure measures must be exercised even if you get a negative result. You must continue to follow COVID guidelines and remember to wash your hands, wear a face covering where required and maintain a 2m distance from others regardless of the result.

5 Total and Weekly Summary A total of 53,481 positive cases have been identified in Northamptonshire to date. Of this number, 1,349 were identified in the last week, 5th to 11th July 2021.

This graph shows the total number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Northamptonshire each week since 19th April 2021.

Case volumes were low and generally speaking on a decreasing or plateauing trend from late April through to the end of May. There has been a sustained rise in cases since then, and in the last two weeks a notable spike in case volumes.

This week’s case total represents an increase of 20% when compared to the previous week and is more than 4 times higher than that seen for the week of 7th June 2021.

Please note that the latest week’s figures may increase, as data for the most recent days is subject to reporting delays.

6 Rates of Cases by Area The data in this table shows us what the total and most recent week’s positive COVID-19 case numbers for each area in Cumulative Rate per Compared to Compared to Northamptonshire would look like if they all had the exact same rate per 100,000 2 Northants rate England rate 2 Area population size (100,000). 100,000 to Jul to 8 Jul 2 Jul to 8 Jul Jul to 8 Jul 8 Jul 2021 2021 2021 2021 • Northamptonshire’s infection rate per 100,000 population for the most recent week up to 8th July is 176.4, a 53% increase Northamptonshire 7,030 176.4 - Sig lower compared to the previous week but still significantly lower than the national average (328.9). 6,738 152.5 Sig lower Sig lower

Corby 8,570 148.2 Similar Sig lower • West Northamptonshire’s rate (197.0, a 64% increase compared to the previous week) is similar to Northamptonshire 5,650 166.1 Similar Sig lower average. North Northamptonshire’s rate (152.5, a 39% increase 6,303 111.0 Sig lower Sig lower compared to the previous week) is significantly lower than the Northamptonshire average. Both Unitaries are significantly Wellingborough 6,925 193.2 Similar Sig lower lower than the national average. West Northamptonshire 7,281 197.0 Similar Sig lower • All local area infection rates are significantly lower than the Daventry 5,585 230.4 Sig higher Sig lower national average except for South Northamptonshire’s, which is similar to the national average. The South Northamptonshire Northampton 8,584 136.7 Sig lower Sig lower area has the highest case rate in Northamptonshire, followed South Northamptonshire 5,725 310.1 Sig higher Similar by the Daventry area.

Source: Gov.uk Coronavirus Dashboard *Please note that the word sig means • Recent data shows that case rates in Northamptonshire have ‘significant’, which is a statistical term that continued to increase which is why we must all continue to simply means that the research is valid. adhere to the rules, be ‘coronavirus careful’ in everything we do and try to reduce any risk of transmission.

7 Rate of Weekly Lab Confirmed Cases This graph includes all testing data up to 8th July. It shows that Northamptonshire’s rate of cases has been below the England average since June and the gap between the Northamptonshire and England rates has widened in the last month. Northamptonshire’s rate in the latest week has risen further, with an increase of 53% compared to the previous week. The national average case rate increased by 37% when compared to the previous week.

All local areas currently have weekly total rates below the England average. South Northamptonshire, Daventry and Wellingborough area’s case rates are currently above the Northamptonshire average.

All district and borough areas saw an increasing trend in case rates in the last week, although recent days’ data suggest that case rates might be starting to decrease again in Daventry and Wellingborough areas. A rapid increase has been seen within the South Northamptonshire area since late June. Source: Gov.uk Coronavirus Dashboard.

• These are 7-day rolling total numbers of cases as a rate per 100,000 population – this is done to even out the fluctuations we see in testing volumes on weekdays vs weekends.

8 Total Cases by Area

Total cases Cases in week Change from This table shows the total number of people who have Area to 11 Jul 5 Jul to 11 Jul previous tested positive for COVID-19 up to 11th July 2021 in 2021 2021 week Northamptonshire by area.

Northamptonshire 53,481 1,349 Increase Northamptonshire has seen an increase in total weekly North Northamptonshire 23,702 580 Increase cases since the end of May. This week’s data shows a further increase of 20% when compared to the previous 6,241 121 Increase week. East Northamptonshire 5,418 192 Increase In the most recent week both North Northamptonshire Kettering 6,477 137 Increase and West Northamptonshire saw increases in overall case Wellingborough 5,566 130 Decrease totals, as did all district and borough areas except for the West Northamptonshire 29,779 769 Increase Wellingborough and Daventry areas.

Daventry 4,864 174 Decrease Please note that extreme caution must be applied when Northampton 19,416 336 Increase viewing week on week changes. To see the overall changes in areas in context please see slides 15, 16 and 17. South Northamptonshire 5,499 259 Increase

9 Percent Changes: Recent 7-Day Case Rates

This chart shows percentage changes in case rates over the last three months up to 8th July 2021. Percentage changes are calculated by comparing cases to the previous non-overlapping 7-day period. It shows that Northamptonshire saw a steady decrease in case rates in April 2021, after which there was a short-lived increase in case rates early May. There was a further rapid increase in early June, followed by a short-lived decrease in case rates, which unfortunately increased sharply in late June through to 1st July. The most recent data shows that, whilst case rates are still increasing, the rate of increase has started to reduce steadily since 2nd July.

* Data for the last 5 days are not displayed as they will be incomplete. Source: Gov.uk Coronavirus Dashboard

10 Recent Cases by Age and Gender

This graph shows the number of positive test results for COVID-19 in Northamptonshire over the last 28 days by gender and by ten-year age band.

Overall, more men than women tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 28 days.

The age group with the most positive cases was 10 to 19 year olds, closely followed by 20 to 29 year olds. The 10 year age bracket with the most cases for males was 20 to 29 year olds, while that for females was 10 to 19 year olds.

Over the last 4-week period the number of cases amongst people aged 60+ have increased.

• Please refer to the gov.uk coronavirus dashboard heat map for more information on cases in specific age groups.

11 Hospital Beds Occupied by Confirmed COVID-19 Patients This chart shows the trend in numbers of beds at Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals occupied by COVID-19 patients since 1st August 2020.

It shows that the number of beds occupied due to COVID-19 remained relatively steady over the late summer through to mid-October, at which point numbers of patients in hospital began to increase sharply, pealing in January 2021.

The number of patients in hospital due to COVID-19 has plateaued in the last couple of months following a decreasing trend since mid-January. There have been indications in the last couple of weeks that hospital bed occupancy is starting to rise again, although numbers remain low.

The latest data shows a total of 16 COVID-19 patients occupied hospital beds in Northamptonshire on 13th July 2021, which represents an increase when compared to the previous week.

12 Deaths Within 28 Days of Positive Test

This table shows total number of deaths of people who had a positive Total deaths Deaths in week Change from test result for COVID-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive Area to 11 Jul 05 Jul to 11 Jul previous test, reported up to 4th July 2021 for Northamptonshire by area. 2021 2021 week Northamptonshire 1,407 0 Decrease In the most recent week, there were no deaths recorded in Northamptonshire. North Northamptonshire 662 0 Decrease Corby 126 0 No change South Northamptonshire area has seen no deaths since mid-March, Daventry and Kettering areas have seen no deaths since mid-April, East Northamptonshire 192 0 Decrease and Northampton has no record of deaths since 24th April. Kettering 195 0 No change Due to the impact of the COVID-19 vaccination in the elderly and Wellingborough 149 0 Decrease most vulnerable people together with the positive impact lockdown West Northamptonshire 745 0 No change has had on community transmission, reduced deaths have been recorded in Northamptonshire in recent months. Daventry 139 0 No change PHE research shows that both doses of the vaccine are effective in Northampton 486 0 No change reducing infection complications and deaths. South Northamptonshire 120 0 No change

Source: Gov.uk Coronavirus Dashboard

• People who died more than 28 days after their first positive test are not included, whether or not COVID-19 was the cause of death. • Compared to previous reports, the change in the cumulative total is due to PHE using a new methodology to calculate total deaths within 28 days being allocated to the Local Authority • The latest week’s figures are likely to increase further as data for the most recent days are subject to reporting delays.

13 Education Status This chart shows the trend in seven-day average cases recorded in education settings in the last 28 days for both staff and pupils.

In mid-June there was a rapid increase in the average case volume mostly among pupils, dropping off slightly at the start of the week of 21st June. There has been a steady increase since the end of June. In recent days, we see a further increase in case volumes amongst pupils and staff members particularly amongst pupils.

These figures may increase further due to reporting delays. % of Education settings % of Education settings Date range recorded at least 1 case in recorded no cases in the 4 The table shows the proportion of education settings the 4 week period week period having recorded at least one case over a four-week period. 16 Jun to 14 Jul 2021 23% 77% The proportion of schools with recent cases has increased since May. 9 Jun to 7 Jul 2021 19% 81% 2 Jun to 30 Jun 2021 13% 87% On 14th July 2021, 4 education settings were closed. 26 May to 23 Jun 2021 10% 90%

• The latest week’s figures are likely to increase further as data for the most recent days are subject to reporting delays.

14 Cases by Community – Last 28 Days

The chart shows the local communities within Northamptonshire where COVID-19 infections over the last 28 days are highest.

Knowing the areas with the highest case numbers in the last 28 days help us to prioritise and focus our support locally.

15 Case Rates by Community – Last 28 Days per 100,000 population

These graphics show what positive COVID- 19 case numbers over the last 28 days would look like if each local community had the exact same size population (100,000).

The map illustrates the 28-day infection rate per 100,000 population across Northamptonshire.

• Please note that the numbers shown on this page represent the best possible estimate we can make from a wider range of numbers, because there is always a margin of error when calculating cases per 100,000 population – particularly where actual case numbers are small.

16 Change in Case Rates by Community – Fortnightly per 100,000 population

If each community had the exact same size Rank Name population (100,000) in Northamptonshire, 1 West & Weedon (Dav) this graphic shows how COVID-19 case 2 Redwell (Wboro) numbers in the last 14 days would have 3 Silverstone & Syresham & Helmdon (SN) changed in each community compared to 4 (EN) the previous 14 days. 5 Queensway (Wboro) 6 East & Paulerspury (SN) We have seen increases in case rates in all of 7 Deanshanger, Potterspury & Old Stratford (SN) our areas in Northamptonshire. 8 Brickhill (Wboro) 9 Daventry North (Dav) The 15 areas with the greatest increases in 10 North (SN) case rates are listed next to the map. 11 Middleton Cheney & Chipping Warden (SN) 12 Long Buckby East & Ravensthorpe (Dav) Areas with increases in rates of infection show us where we need to prioritise and 13 & Brigstock (EN) focus our support locally. 14 Braunston & Crick (Dav) 15 Towcester West & Blakesley (SN)

• Please note that the numbers shown on this page represent the best possible estimate we can make from a wider range of numbers, because there is always a margin of error when calculating cases per 100,000 population – particularly where actual case numbers are small.

17 Summary of Outbreaks to 12/07/2021 Two or more cases linked by place and time to that setting. Totals are 28 day counts for care homes and hospitals, and 14 day counts for all other locations.

In the last 28 days Corby Daventry East Northants Kettering Northampton South Northants Wellingborough Northants total Case total

Outbreaks 0 3 0 0 1 2 2 8 136 Care home/service 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 Childcare 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Workplace 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Education 0 3 0 0 1 1 2 7 134 Hospital/healthcare 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Source: PHE, Test & Trace, School Cell, Line lists from EHO's & Community IPC care home Cell

• Please note that this summary covers all situations classified as ‘active’. An active situation has had at least 1 positive case within the previous 28 days. • Outbreaks in Care home and Hospital/Healthcare settings will remain active for 14 days, if no activity noticed there are pended for next 14 days before closure. • Outbreaks in Workplace, Education, Childcare & other settings will remain active for 7 days, if no activity noticed there are pended for next 7 days before closure. • Compared to the previous week there has been a decrease in the number of outbreaks linked to particular settings but it is important to note that the majority of cases are due to community transmission.

18 19 COVID-19: Keep Up to Date

• Listen: To BBC Radio Northampton’s interviews with Director of Public Health Lucy Wightman twice weekly: Tuesday at 08.10am and 4.10pm on Thursdays.

• Read: Northamptonshire’s Director of Public Health, Lucy Wightman’s weekly column in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo online and in the newspaper for the very latest insights and advice.

• Study: Our weekly surveillance reports on the North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire websites.

• Follow us: on • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram @publichealthnorthamptonshire • Tiktok

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