People in Camborne, Pool and Redruth are being urged to get vaccinated as figures show Covid cases have remained consistently high in the area.
Statistics reveal the case rate in those communities has been up to double the Cornwall average in recent weeks while vaccine uptake is lagging behind the rest of the county.
The situation has led Cornwall Council’s Public Health team to issue a plea to residents to take up the vaccine offer as soon as possible.
They are also being encouraged to wear face masks in busy areas or indoors, and to practice social distancing where possible.
Rachel Wigglesworth, Director of Public Health for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “We can’t stress enough how important it is to get vaccinated. This is the best way to live more safely with coronavirus and everyone needs to take responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities.
“Our data shows that in the Camborne, Pool and Redruth area there is a higher-than-average number of unvaccinated people in just about every age group, and in both men and women.
"We think that's part of the reason why the case rate has been so high and is definitely one of the reasons why we are urging people to get their vaccines as soon as they're invited.”
The case rate has been dropping in some parts of the Camborne, Pool and Redruth this week, but others are still seeing cases increasing.
As of today (28th October), the areas with the highest rates are Camborne East with a rate of 651 cases per 100,000, Redruth North with 633, and Pool and Illogan Highway with 705. This compares to a rate of 496 for Cornwall as a whole.
Meanwhile, vaccine uptake is lower than the Cornwall average in every area apart from Illogan and Portreath. In Camborne South, for example, just 63 per cent of eligible people have had both jabs, compared to 78 per cent for Cornwall as a whole.
Cllr Dr Andy Virr, Portfolio Holder for Adults and Public Health and an Emergency Department consultant at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, called on everyone to take responsibility to keep their community safe.
He said: “Since the restrictions were lifted at the start of the summer we have seen more and more people choosing to ignore the sensible guidance that had become second nature during the first year of the pandemic, such as keeping a safe distance from people and wearing face coverings in crowded places or indoors. I would strongly urge everyone to continue adopting these simple measures to keep themselves and their communities safe.”
He added: “The more we allow Covid to spread the more likely we are to see more transmissible and dangerous variants of the virus. The last thing any of us want is to go back to the days of lockdowns and restrictions so please, make sure you get jabbed and continue to take precautions.”
To book a jab, visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or to find your nearest walk-in vaccination centre (no booking required) visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/
Press release published on October 28th 2021