Calderdale wards released from restrictions have higher infection rates than those still under restraints

The council’s Brighouse, Calder, Elland, Greetland and Stainland, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe, Luddenden Foot, Rastrick, Ryburn and Todmorden wards – effectively the Calder Valley Parliamentary constituency – are coming out of local restrictions today.

Meanwhile, wards that fall in the Halifax Parliamentary constituency -Illingworth and Mixenden, Northowram and Shelf, Ovenden, Park, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town and Warley – remain subject to local restrictions imposed on July 31 along with other parts of West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

Debate around the decision and the circumstances in which it has been made have seen bitter recriminations arise between the council’s ruling Labour group and opposition Conservatives.

But Government infection figures broken down to an even more local than ward level for August 21 to 27 show that some areas still subject to local restrictions have lower or level infection rates compared to some areas which have been released.

For example, Todmorden West and Cornholme, which are part of Todmorden ward, showed five cases, and Ripponden, Rishworth and Barkisland, parts of Ryburn ward, have four cases, and are out of lockdown from September 2.

In affected areas of Halifax, Pellon West and Highroad Well showed between zero and two cases in that period, as did Sowerby Bridge, and Pellon West four, but they remain subject to the local restrictions.

The highest number of infections, 13, were registered in King Cross, Halifax.

The Government’s figures show the number of cases in each area in Calderdale between those dates were as follows.

Number of positive cases, August 21 to 27: Todmorden West and Cornholme, 5; Todmorden East and Walsden, 0-2; Hebden Bridge, 0-2; Mytholmroyd and Cragg Vale, 0-2; Ripponden, Rishworth and Barkisland, 4; Greetland and Stainland, 0-2; Elland, 0-2; Rastrick West, 0-2; Rastrick East, 0-2.

Brighhouse, 0-2; Clifton and Bailiff Bridge, 0-2; Hipperholme, 0-2; Northowram and Shelf, 4; Central Halifax and Boothtown, 0-2; Sowerby Bridge, 0-2; Sowerby, Beechcroft and Luddenden Foot, 0-2; Norton Tower and Mount Tabor, 0-2; Savile Park, 0-2; Skircoat Green, 0-2; Southowram and Siddal, 0-2; Pellon East, 4; Pellon West and Highroad Well, 0-2; King Cross, 13; Wheatley and Ovenden West, 0-2; Ovenden East, 0-2; Mixenden, 0-2; and Illingworth and Ogden, 0-2.

In context, NHS Digital summary data for August 23 to 29 shows that in Calderdale as a whole the case rate fell by almost half – 49 per cent – on the previous seven-day period.

With 33 new positive COVID-19 cases, this means Calderdale has a case rate of 15.7 people per 100,000 of population.

That is down from 23.8 the previous week (August 16 to 22) and well below a peak figure of 44.3 registered between August 2 and 8.

The numbers are moving in the right direction, but the borough’s Director of Public Health Deborah Harkins has always warned stabilisation of cases needs to be sustained for a period of time to be sure improvement measures, including the local test and trace system, which is now up and running in tandem with the national scheme, are fully working.

Triages – the number of calls from people who think they may have coronavirus to the various NHS lines – are up nine per cent on the previous period with 156 inquiries, a triage rate of 74 per 100,000 of people, meaning the number of tests being undertaken is likely to be increasing.

Seven-day summary data posted online today by NHS Digital shows Calderdale has dropped right out of the top 10 areas which have been battling spikes in infections.