Drop-in vaccination clinics have been set up in Loughborough to deal with the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the Charnwood area.
Previously known as the variant identified in India, the new ‘Delta’ strain of Coronavirus has been named by public health experts as the cause of much of the increased spread in the town, which saw 66 cases in the 7-days to Friday 4th, the highest number of cases since the end of March.
Due to the rise, the local public health authority has announced a set of additional vaccination clinics in the town which are available to students aged 18 and above who live with two or more adults not from the same family.
The vaccinations are limited only to those from the town who have not already had their first dose, and are also being offered to all those aged over 25 in-line with the national guidelines.
Dates of additional vaccination clinics in Loughborough
Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th June 2021
- Charnwood Borough Council offices, Southfield Road, Loughborough, LE11 2TX
- 8:30am to 12:30pm
Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th June
- Fearon Hall Community Centre, Rectory Road, Loughborough, LE11 1PL.
- 12pm to 9pm
Opening times may be subject to change.
Caroline Trevithick of the the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Group said that “drop-in clinics like these have been very popular in other areas as it is so much more convenient for people to attend.
I strongly encourage anyone who is eligible for the vaccine and who lives in Loughborough to come and be vaccinated at these clinics over the next couple of weeks.”
The clinics will all be offering the Pfizer vaccine, meaning that they’re suitable for people of all eligible ages without an appointment.
Over 21,500 people attended similar clinics in the city of Leicester earlier in the month, and it is hoped that similar levels of demand could be seen in the town which currently has a vaccination rate of 70.6%, 7% lower than the national average.
Delta continues to spread
Whilst vaccinations are only available nationally to those over 25, the rise in cases has mainly been amongst young people under the age of 24, who currently account for over 50% of all cases in the borough.
Overall, 127 cases have been recorded in the last 7 days of data in Charnwood, giving the borough a case rate of 68.3 per 100,000, 43% higher than the national average.
Alongside surge vaccines, to help tackle the rise in cases the council are also urging young people to continue to get tested if they aren’t already.
Director of Public Health for Leicestershire, Mike Sandys, said that “there’s been a step increase in numbers across Leicestershire with Covid cases overall rising by around 60 per cent in the past seven days”, and warned people to remain cautious, especially with the start of EURO 2020 this weekend.
Testing continues at the Loughborough University Lateral Flow centre, with all students being required to obtain a test weekly, and after any trip away from campus.
The rise in cases both nationally and in Loughborough comes after the third stage of relaxations came into effect on May 17th, with cases increasing due in part to a rise in indoor socialising.
There are also specific issues within Loughborough “related to school-age parties and gatherings” which have created a rise in cases in the town.
Cases have been primarily been located in the Leymington, Hastings, Shelthorpe and Woodthorpe areas of the town in recent days, with these areas accounting for over half of all total cases.
Label has also discovered that a small number of households in the University have also returned to self-isolation, with 3 cases reported in the campus area in the last 7 days.
The University and Students’ Union are hoping cases remain low, allowing the last phase of the national lockdown to be lifted on June 21st in time for graduation and end-of-year balls, although the spread of the ‘Delta’ variant has put these in doubt.
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