Rotherham residents praised after drop in coronavirus numbers

Rotherham Town Hall
Rotherham Town Hall

Council and health chiefs have praised the people of Rotherham for following Government guidelines and helping to reduce the rate of positive coronavirus cases to 6.4 cases per 100,000 people.  

The latest data was shared at a meeting of the Rotherham Local Outbreak Engagement Board on Friday 28 August 2020 showing that the infection rate in Rotherham has declined to below the level of the South Yorkshire average.

While this is great news, the Council warns people not to be complacent and encourages residents to continue to follow the guidelines. If they have any symptoms of the virus, no matter how mild, they need to book a test at one of the local test sites or order a home test kit.

Rotherham Council’s Leader and Chair of the Rotherham Local Outbreak Engagement Board, Cllr Chris Read, said: “Over the past few months the Council has engaged with thousands of people across the borough and, as a result, we have seen a fantastic result in the decrease of coronavirus cases in Rotherham. Tens of thousands of people have been tested and many more have taken the government guidance seriously, helping to keep their friends and family safe and well. We want to thank everybody for their continued support during this time, but we also need to remind everyone that this virus can spread at an alarming rate, those infection rates can rise again really quickly if we don’t continue to take precautions.”

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Executive, Dr Richard Jenkins, said: “I am happy to report Rotherham Hospital has now had its first period without any Covid-19 positive patients since March. Our staff have done a fantastic job caring for 650 inpatients who tested positive for the virus, however, sadly 204 patients have died and, with this in mind, we need to remember that the pandemic is not over.”

Further information and guidance about the coronavirus can be found here

Published: 1st September 2020