COVID-19 cases have resulted in a Herefordshire school taking the decision to partially close a school until further notice, with cases rising once again across Herefordshire.
An update from Blackmarston School said:
“Wrens Class will be closed from Monday 21st March until further notice due to staff shortages arising from Covid infections within the class team. We will notify parents and carers as soon as possible when we are able to re-open the class. Thank you for understanding and support.”
Latest data released by Public Health England shows that cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Herefordshire, with data for the seven day period ending 13th March indicating that a total of 1,409 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded, giving a COVID-19 infection rate of 727.7 cases per 100,000 population. This is an increase of 77.5% on the previous seven day period.
Source: Interactive map of cases | Coronavirus in the UK (data.gov.uk)
The six areas of Herefordshire currently recording ‘very high’ levels of COVID-19 are as follows:
Ross-on-Wye – 94 new cases (COVID-19 infection rate of 838.9 cases per 100,000 population)
Kingstone & Kingsthorne – 114 new cases (COVID-19 infection rate of 1,001 cases per 100,000 population)
Credenhill, Weobley & Wellington – 105 new cases (COVID-19 infection rate of 1,086.4 cases per 100,000 population)
Lugwardine, Withington & Moreton on Lugg – 85 new cases (COVID-19 infection rate of 1,069.6 cases per 100,000 population)
Bromyard & Bishop’s Frome – 104 new cases (COVID-19 infection rate of 965.9 cases per 100,000 population)
Colwall, Cradley & Wellington Heath – 53 new cases (COVID-19 infection rate of 914 cases per 100,000 population.
In all honesty, cases are likely to be far higher than reported, with many people no longer regularly testing.
Free LFTs are being given out at the following pop-up sites until Herefordshire Council run out of stock*:
Saturday 19 March
- Halo Leisure Centre, from 9am
Monday 21 March
- Co-op, Bromyard, from 10:30am
- Morrisons, Ross-on-Wye, from 11:30am
Tuesday 22 March
- Tesco, Ledbury, from 10:30am
Wednesday 23 March
- Market House, Ledbury, from 10am
- Market Fair, High Town, Hereford, from 10:30am
Thursday 24 March
- Wellington Village Stores, from 12pm
- Old market car park, from 10:30am
Friday 25 March
- Kington market, from 9:30am
- Market Fair, High Town, Hereford, from 10:30am
Saturday 26 March
- Co-op, Bobblestock, from 10:30am
