Public Health Dorset report that they have seen a slight rise in COVID-19 cases in the Dorset Council area this week and a small decline in COVID-19 case rates across the BCP Council area. Both Dorset Council and BCP Council case rates are below the average for the South West and England. Hospitalisations related to COVID-19 have remained at around 40-50 since the beginning of August, with 40 people currently in hospital with COVID-19. We have started to see a number of COVID-related deaths each week due to COVID-19, but these are at much lower levels than during previous waves. This shows that the vaccine is having an impact on protecting people from serious illness and death.
Public Health Dorset continue to urge anyone who hasn’t yet had their first or second dose of the COVID vaccine to book an appointment or attend a walk-in clinic. It’s also important to keep testing regularly with rapid lateral flow tests to check that you’re not infectious and putting other people at risk – it is known that it’s still possible to catch or spread COVID-19 even after you’ve been vaccinated. Order your free tests online or collect from a local pharmacy. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate and book a PCR test
