THE number of children in the county being tested for covid after showing signs of the disease has reached over 4,000.

The number of children tested between Thursday, November 4 and Wednesday, November 10 has reached over 4,000.

They include 2,043 children aged from 0 to nine years old and 2,228 children and teens aged from ten to 19 years old.

There has been an increase in the number of 0 to nine years old tested compared to the previous week which had 1,819 children tested.

Children and teens aged from ten to 19 has slightly decreased with 2,253 children tested the previous week in Worcestershire.

The percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated to have dropped in the West Midlands.

 

Professor Kevin McConway of the Open University said it was “good to see a pattern predominantly of decreases” in the latest ONS figures, but not to get “carried away”, describing infection levels as “quite high”.

A positivity rate of one in 65 people in England is similar to that seen at the end of January, “when we were still locked down”, he added.

“Now that vaccination has had such an effect on hospitalisations and deaths, a rate this high isn’t as concerning as it was earlier in the pandemic, but it’s still too high for comfort.

“Things aren’t yet anywhere near back to the pre-pandemic normal. We’re getting further into the cold season of the year when respiratory infections tend to do their worst.”

Across England, in the week ending Saturday, November 13, covid-19 infection levels decreased for chldren in school year 7 to school year 11.

It also decreased in school year 12 to age 24, 35 to 49 years as well as 70 years and over.