Hartlepool 'very likely' to be added to watch list within hours amid 'extremely worrying' rise in cases

Health chiefs in Hartlepool stressed it is therefore crucial the town does everything it can to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and ensure a future local lockdown does not need take place.

Cllr Shane Moore, Hartlepool Borough Council leader, added the town ‘cannot afford’ for this to happen and stressed it is crucial the council and partners do everything they can in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

A meeting of Hartlepool Outbreak Control Engagement Working Group heard they are sending out messages across the town for people to adhere to social distancing, wash hands regularly, and cover their faces.

Leaflets with the messaging will be sent out across the town over the weekend.

The latest ‘extremely worrying’ figures for the borough stated there have been 70 confirmed Covid-19 cases over the past 14 days.

Denise McGuckin, managing director at Hartlepool Borough Council, said it is very likely Hartlepool is named on the Government watchlist for Covid-19 cases when it is updated later today.

She said: “It is very likely that Hartlepool will, by the end of today, be what is known as an area of concern due to the increased prevalence of coronavirus cases in the town.

“What that does mean is we continue to do what we’re doing and it’s about enhanced communications, which is why the leaflets have gone out, which is why we’re doing lots of social media messages.”

Government reviews the areas on the watchlist on a weekly basis, and numerous areas across the North East have already been confirmed to be on the list.

Cllr Shane Moore, Hartlepool Borough Council leader, said it is crucial everybody does their bit to ensure the town does not end up with a local lockdown.

He said: “It is very important that we do everything we can to try and get that message out there, the last thing we want is for this to run away.

“We don’t want the Government to end up coming in and implementing a localised lockdown, we simply can’t afford that on many fronts.”

Council chiefs noted they have also written to care homes to advise them to suspend visiting to protect vulnerable residents, and are also in contact with schools.

Earlier in the meeting Mrs McGuckin had confirmed a mobile testing site would be available in the town from Monday to Friday next week to help address issues with testing.

She said: “The testing situation, it’s not something that’s unique to Hartlepool and we are fighting for it.

“We will have the mobile testing unit in Hartlepool Monday to Friday next week permanently and on Sunday.

“It is about protecting our loved ones no matter what age they are.”

Craig Blundred, acting director of public health at Hartlepool Borough Council, had said he would be pushing for more testing in the town, particularly in deprived areas, after the spike in cases.

He said: “It’s not a brilliant picture, cases are rising, and we do need to do a lot of work now to mitigate those rises.

“We are trying to get more testing into Hartlepool, we’re looking at localised testing, predominantly we’re looking at areas where they may be more deprived areas or they have low levels of uptake of testing.”

Previously a mobile testing centre had been in Hartlepool for two days a week at the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Health chefs also noted although the Covid-19 rate is rising, the death rate and hospitalisations have held steady.

They noted this was mainly due to an increased number of 18-35 year olds testing positive for Covid-19, who therefore do not have the same underlying health conditions.

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