One in four workers in Wolverhampton 'could soon be off due to Covid'
Up to a quarter of staff in Wolverhampton could be absent for Covid-related reasons as infection rates continue to climb, a council leader has warned.
Figures show the rate in the city stands at 1,919 cases per 100,000 residents – the equivalent of more than 5,000 people testing positive in the last week.
The highest the rate reached during the third wave of the virus last winter was around 1,100 per 100,000, with cases now hitting near their highest level.
And Councillor Ian Brookfield, leader of Wolverhampton Council, warned services run by the authority may take a "bit longer than normal" due to the virus.
He said: "We know, based on what has happened in London and other parts of country, that the situation in Wolverhampton will get worse before it gets better, not just in terms of infections, but hospitalisations and disruption caused by people having to self-isolate.
"The current rates of infection and transmission mean that – like so many other areas – pressure is beginning to build on public services in our city and across the region.
"We want to do all we can to prevent this having an impact on services the council provides and it's right and proper that, as a council, we prepare for all eventualities.
"In response to this, we are closely monitoring service delivery, pressures and risks in light of modelling from London which suggests we could see up to a quarter of staff absent for Covid-related reasons over the coming weeks. So, it could get very bumpy with a perfect storm of high service demand and Covid-19 decimating staff numbers.
"Our focus is on maintaining essential council and city services and making sure that those people who need our support the most are prioritised because this is a city that leaves no-one behind. There may be some delays on other services and things may take a bit longer than normal over the coming weeks, but please bear with us."
Councillor Brookfield said the authority was working hard with partners to ensure frontline staff in particular get swift access to Covid-19 tests, whilst the council boosts support for care homes and schools – and continues to push for people in the city to be vaccinated.
"Fortunately, while case numbers are significantly higher now than they were in the last wave, the proportion of people who are falling critically ill is much lower, and that’s because so many residents have had now their Covid-19 jabs, and their booster," he said.
"The vast majority – nearly 90 per cent – of those who end up in intensive care with Covid have not fully taken up their vaccination offer, so if you are due a jab, please get it as soon as you can."
"We are encouraging city partner organisations and key business stakeholders to follow the example we are setting so that we can protect core services, reduce the pressure on the NHS and put our city in the best possible position to recover from this latest surge.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank key workers across Wolverhampton for their continuing hard work and dedication to local people. Our city has dealt with challenges like this many times before during the pandemic and I am confident that we will once again rise to the challenges ahead."
Latest figures show there were 1,919.4 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the last seven days. That means 5,048 people tested positive for the virus in that same period – though the true number of cases will likely be higher.
