Star date: 9th February 2021

PEOPLE AGED OVER 70 SHOULD GET IN TOUCH WITH THE NHS

Salford has 54 new coronavirus cases, down from the previous day's 109, although this could be through a lag in reporting. The seven day rate per 100,000 population now stands at 260.4, down from 273.9, and there has been one new virus-related death at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, everyone aged 70 and above is urged to now contact the NHS to get a vaccination, rather than waiting for an invite. Registered carers should be in cohort 6, which is two down from the current top four priority groups.

Full details here...

Salford has 54 new coronavirus cases, down from the previous day's 109, bringing the cumulative total to 20,458. This drop in cases could be the result of a lag in reporting but it won't be known until later in the week. Hopefully it is a good sign. The seven day average of cases in Salford has decreased to 674, down from 709, while the seven day rate per 100,000 population now stands at 260.4, down from 273.9.

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, the seven day average of cases in Bury is 393 (down from 407), with a seven day rate per 100,000 population of 205.8 (down from 213.1); Bolton 792 (down from 805), with a rate of 275.4 (down from 280); Manchester 1,491 (down from 1,535), with a rate of 269.7 (down from 277.6); and Oldham 523 (down from 533), with a rate of 220.6 (down from 224.8).
 
Rochdale has a seven day average of cases of 540 (down from 546), with a seven day rate of 242.8 (down from 245.5); Stockport 721 (up from 698), with a rate of 245.7 (up from 237.9); Tameside 488 (down from 513), with a rate of 215.5 (down from 226.5); Trafford 462 (down from 476), with a rate of 194.6 (down from 200.5); and Wigan 804 (down from 826), with a rate of 244.6 (down from 251.3).
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There has been one new virus-related death at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, today, the NHS explains why it is asking people aged 70 and over to contact it for vaccine appointments, when the previous message has been to wait for an invite...

"Until now the NHS has asked people to wait until they are contacted to help ensure that those who are most vulnerable are protected first - and that remains the case for most people" it states "However, to ensure absolutely everyone is offered the vaccine, people aged 70 and over can now contact the NHS so they can be vaccinated by the middle of this month."
 
As well as the local link the Salford Star published yesterday (see here) there is also a national link that allows people to choose a time slot and location that suits them.
See here www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination  Anyone unable to book online can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week. If a suitable and convenient slot is not available people can also call their GP practice.
 
GP teams have also been asked to contact their clinically extremely vulnerable patients, who have been asked to shield, to ensure they have been offered the vaccine, the NHS adds. Anyone who received a letter in 2021 asking them to shield, should also receive an invitation from their local family doctor as well as an invitation from the national booking service inviting them for a jab.

People in priority groups who are given a vaccination appointment by both their local GP team and the National Booking Service should cancel the one they do not want so the slot can be used by someone else.

People who do not know their NHS number can still book an appointment through the national system but will only be given an appointment if they are in the top four priority groups. Health and social care workers, who are also among the top four priority groups for vaccination, should speak to their employer about arranging their jab.

In the Salford Star comments section, carers are asking when they can have the vaccine, and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government, states that they should fall into the same vaccine priority as the clinical risk groups in cohort 6, two below the current top four priority cohorts.

"Groups at higher risk, including those who are in receipt of a carer's allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill, should also be offered vaccination alongside these [clinical risk ] groups" it states.

Carers should be registered as such with a GP or Health Trust and they will be in touch, or you can register as an unpaid carer. Campaigners are currently pushing for the Government to improve communications in this regard...

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock adds: "We are on track to meet our goal of offering everyone in the top four priority groups a jab. So far we have said please wait until the NHS contacts you. I now urge everyone aged 70 and over who hasn't yet had a vaccination to come forward and contact the NHS to book in their jab. And if you have grandparents, relatives and friends over 70, please encourage them to book an appointment as soon as possible, so they can be protected against this awful virus.
 
"Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic" he says "and, by ensuring you and your loved ones get booked in for a jab, the NHS can give those most at-risk the protection they need as we continue to fight this disease together."