The number of sequences of the Delta variant recorded in Herefordshire has risen sharply in Herefordshire, in the two weeks ending 12th June, according to data released by the Wellcome Sanger Institute today.
Data shows that in the two weeks ending 12th June, 23 sequences of the Delta variant were recorded in the county. This is significantly up on the one sequence of the variant that was recorded in the two week period ending 29th May.
The Delta variant now makes up over 90% of new cases recorded in Herefordshire and the situation locally appears to match that of the rest of the United Kingdom, where cases of the Delta variant continue to surge, but as of yet, there are no signs of the NHS becoming overwhelmed, which will be seen as a result of the highly successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
The good news is that hospitalisations remain low in Herefordshire, with latest data showing that as of 15th June, no patients were being treated for COVID-19 at hospitals in Herefordshire, however one patient had been treated at Hereford County Hospital during the week, prior to data being recorded.
The overall COVID-19 infection rate in Herefordshire was 34.2 cases per 100,000 population in the seven days ending 15th June, this is slightly down on the 36.8 cases per 100,000 population that was recorded in the seven days ending 8th June.
