‘Our battle with Covid is far from over’ says Mansfield mayor

The mayor of Mansfield spoke out after another 200 positive cases were recorded in the district over the weekend.

A further 35 were recorded yesterday, taking the total number of people in Mansfield who have tested positive for Covid to 14,450, giving a rate of infection of 13,214 cases per 100,000 people, higher than the England average of 11,315.

The rate over the last seven days is 390.5 per 100,000 population, putting the district just outside the 15 highest in England – it had been as high as 549.6 in the seven days last month, the second highest in the country.

Andy Abrahams, Mansfield mayor, said: “The rates across the county are starting to flatten and fall and whilst Mansfield’s rates are among the highest in the UK, a few months ago they were very low so things can change considerably over time.

“We continue to work closely with the NHS and community champions to try to get our key messages on vaccination, testing and safety measures to residents and the business community.

“A mobile testing unit has also been deployed in Warsop to encourage regular asymptomatic testing in response to the high rates.

“We’ve also been ensuring the vaccination bus visits target areas of the district and age cohorts that have lower vaccination rates.

“The support of our partners and local influencers is vital to us successfully getting Covid rates under control so thank you to everyone who has displayed information, shared the facts and encouraged everyone to play their part in keeping Mansfield safe.”

A total of 297 people have died from Covid in Mansfield since the pandemic began, among 10,707 deaths recorded across the East Midlands and 158,664 across the UK whose death certificate mentioned Covid-19 as one of the causes.

Vaccination

The newly updated figures also show that three-quarters of people in Mansfield have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine – again below the national average.

The latest figures show 72,814 people had received both jabs by Monday – 76 per cent of those aged 16 and over, based on the number of people on the National Immunisation Management Service database.

Across England, 82 per cent of people aged 16 and above had received a second dose of the jab.

Mr Abrahams said: “We’re supporting the NHS in encouraging anyone over the age of 16 to get a vaccination and for those 18 and over to be double jabbed so we can protect each other and our local economy from the impact of COVID-19.

“Even if you are fully vaccinated and don’t have symptoms, regular rapid testing is really important for monitoring transmission.

“You can collect test kits from pharmacies across the district and from the mobile testing unit in the car park at Mansfield Town FC or order online for delivery. If you need assisted testing then visit the testing unit at the One Call Stadium.

“If you feel unwell, stay at home and if you have symptoms of Covid-19 get a test and follow the government guidelines on self-isolation.

“Our battle with Covid is far from over and as winter creeps in, we can all do our bit to keep each other safe.”

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