Hospital numbers down, but Rotherham in national top ten for new coronavirus infections

CORONAVIRUS inpatient numbers at Rotherham Hospital fell by more than a third this week — but the borough-wide infection rate is one of the highest in the country.

The 7-day infection rate has only fallen slightly in more than two weeks — and in fact rose in the past week.

As of Sunday, the rate was 140.9 per 100,000 people — three per cent up on last week and only fractionally below the March 4 figure of 145.8.

This gave Rotherham the tenth highest rate in the country, more than a third up on the regional average and more than three times that of the south-east.

This week, open businesses — and ones restarting in the coming weeks — were offered the chance to give lateral flow tests to staff.

Firms can apply for workplace kits for those unable to work from home, or book into the test centre at Riverside House.

Rotherham public health director Ben Anderson said: "Businesses have already gone above and beyond to put into place Covid-secure measures that keep their workers, customers, and visitors safe.

“The rapid testing offer supplements this work and means that we can stop the virus spreading by identifying people who are asymptomatic and supporting them to isolate, thereby reducing transmission.”

Further information about testing for businesses is available at www.rotherham.gov.uk/coronavirus.