Rotherham's Covid-19 infection rate saw small spike but has decreased again - latest figures revealed

THE COVID-19 infection rate in Rotherham rose slightly as testing increased across the borough - but the latest figures show it dipping again.

Rotherham Council pushed for more testing locally as a result of its top-ten ranking in previous weeks and - with support from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and Public Health England (PHE) - set up two mobile testing sites at the former Midland Road bus depot and Herringthorpe Stadium car park.

Testing at these two sites began two weeks ago on July 11.

The latest figures supplied by PHE, released today (July 24), showed the infection rate per 100,000 people swab-tested between July 13 and July 19 had spiked in Rotherham. 

Rotherham saw an increase in cases to 23.1 - placing them back into the top ten in eighth position.

However, more recent Covid-19 testing data has been published by NHS Digital, in which the rate of new cases in Rotherham had fallen. 

Their figures showed the infection rate per 100,000 people swab-tested between July 15 and July 21 (Tuesday of this week) in Rotherham had fallen to 15.1, ranking Rotherham 15th nationally.

Throughout the UK, Blackburn and Darwin has now overtaken Leicester as the number one area with the highest rate of new Covid-19 infections. 

Next week, Rotherham Council, with help from DHSC and PHE, will open a new Covid-19 walk-in testing site, which will be situated in Forge Island car park.

The council are hoping the marquee will be open for testing by the middle of next week.