Staffing issues re-emerge as Covid rates see 75pc surge

The latest case rates for Norfolk grew from 398 cases per 100,000 to 698 - an increase of 75pc in the space of seven days.

Public health bosses say the spike has likely come as a result of restrictions ending and the resultant reductions in mask-wearing, testing and social-distancing - with the growth not linked to any specific outbreaks.

The increase takes case rates to the highest they have been since the start of February - with the 75pc increase also considerably above the national average increase of just under 60pc.

And despite self-isolation no longer being mandatory, it means Covid is once again posing serious staffing questions across various employment sectors, including healthcare, schools and the emergency services.

Zoe Fisher, deputy chief executive of the Sapientia Education Trust (Image: SET)

Zoe Fisher, deputy chief executive of the Sapientia Trust, which runs several schools in the county, said: "We are seeing increasing rates again in several of our Norfolk schools. This is impacting on pupil attendance and staffing, with absence rates higher than a month ago.

"Finding supply staff is also really challenging. Schools are adapting and meeting the challenges, but the overall impact currently is at a similar level to last November."

The numbers have also seen some schools forced into temporary or partial closures, including Ashwicken Church of England Primary Academy, near King's Lynn, which was unable to open on Tuesday due to staff shortages.

Other schools, including Colman Junior School in Norwich and Framingham Earl High School, have been forced to bring in short-term measures, with remote learning for various year groups and bubbles to cope with rising case numbers.

The latter will be providing remote learning on Wednesday and Thursday this week and is strongly urging children to continue using face masks in school.

School pupils will still have to wear a face coverings on school transport. (Image: PA)

The case numbers have also resulted in staff absences the region's hospitals, with scores of NHS workers forced to stay at home for Covid-related reasons.

Latest figures showed 130 staff members absent from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, along with 73 from the James Paget in Gorleston and 36 at the Queen Elizabeth in King's Lynn.

And the region's ambulance trust, which recently needed to call for back-up support from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service in dealing with cardiac arrests, is also coping with absences.

According to most recent figures made available, more than 1,000 new cases of the virus are being detected in the region, with 1,138 new infections reported each day on average. This is a 70pc increase on the 670 average of the previous week.

The total number of people that tested positive for Covid-19 in the week leading up to March 8 was almost 17,000, with 281 people in hospital as of Saturday, March 13 - although none of these were in critical care.

Norfolk’s deputy director of public health, Suzanne Meredith, said: “We are seeing an increase in Covid rates across Norfolk, and across much of the UK. These increases have occurred across multiple areas and age groups, and do not appear to be linked to individual outbreaks.

"While case rates are increasing, in part as a natural result of the end of restrictions and a reduction in the use of facemasks, at present they remain lower than they were in January 2022.

"We are monitoring the trends locally and are supporting settings such as schools and care homes in the area."

Analysis

Once restrictions were formally lifted by the government there was always going to be a strange period where we almost feel in a state of flux - stuck between the 'new normal' we had grown used to and living alongside the virus like any other infection.

As we've constantly found throughout the pandemic, we all adjust to things at different paces and this is what we are already seeing.

Clearly, the fewer restrictions and guidelines there are the more personal responsibility we all have and no two people will make the same decisions or approaches.

Therefore, in some sense, there was always a degree of inevitability that we would see a rise in infection rates.

But equally the difficulties evidently remain and there are inevitably difficult discussions being had between employers and employees as they strive to manage illness.

What we now see is a far less clear cut picture. Whereas just a month ago it was clear - Covid means you stay at home - now some will be grappling with whether or not to come in.

It is clear to see that restrictions or not, the Covid-19 pandemic is not quite over.