Covid rate hits a new peak with 3,854 cases
GUERNSEY’S Covid rates reached a new peak of 3,854 active cases yesterday, with children making up more than a quarter of the figures.
One in 10 children aged nine and under have tested positive in the last week. There are currently 15 people in hospital with a recent Covid diagnosis. But case numbers may start to drop soon.
During the spring wave the States has moved to weekly testing, published on a Tuesday.
Yesterday’s statistics revealed there were 2,809 new cases found over the last week, taking the total to 3,854.
This compares with 2,077 new cases confirmed last Tuesday, with 2,574 active cases.
The States said it expected there to be even more cases in the community. Currently islanders are doing LFTs and need to report positive tests to Public Health to be logged.
‘We fully expect that there will be more cases in the community,’ it said.
‘While the seven-day average indicates the beginnings of very slight downward trend, it’s still really important that we follow the current guidance so we can continue to move in this direction.’
Children remain the largest age group with positive cases. There were more than 600 children aged nine and under who have tested positive in the last week. The 2021 facts and figures shows there are just over 6,000 children in that age bracket.
There were also more than 400 children aged between 10 and 14 who have tested positive.
There has been concern about older people catching Covid, but the over-75s’ case numbers are relatively low, at about 190. The 20 to 24-year-old bracket was also low, with just 125 cases.
Anyone feeling unwell or testing positive for Covid should stay at home.
People in busy places should consider wearing a face covering.
Islanders should take a lateral flow test if they are heading out to a particularly crowded or poorly ventilated space or visiting someone known to be vulnerable.
In total there have been 20,785 positive cases since the start of the pandemic – nearly a third of the population.
But some people have been infected more than once, especially with the recent Omicron wave.