Unpaid carers are to be included in the next phase of the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, as an Eden register is set to be developed.
Penrith hospital’s vaccination site will offer jabs and North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group is working with Cumbria County Council, Public Health England and carers’ organisations to develop a register of local carers.
The news comes as new diganoses of coronavirus fell again, in the most recent seven-day period, by 34 per cent, with 47 new cases diagnosed in the past seven days and eight in the most recent 24 hours.
However, as the vaccination rollout moves into level six of the priority groups laid out by the Government — those aged aged 18 to 65 in an at-risk group — health bosses say the public must remain cautious.
About 7,000 residents in Eden fall into the latest bracket. Penrith hospital’s vaccination site has already administered 10,000 doses of the vaccine to Eden residents, with plans to finish the 65 to 69-year-old cohort this week.
A start date has now been set to begin administering the second of the life-saving jabs.
Patients who received their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine at Penrith vaccination site will begin to be invited for the second jab from the week commencing March 8.
Eden Primary Care Network head of operations Anna Sives said they are set to receive a delivery of about 1,600 vaccines this week.
The council has maintained its zero per cent wastage record throughout the vaccine programme.
Penrith Lions charity got involved in helping at Penrith Hospital vaccination site last weekend and have been thanked by organisers for their help as volunteers.
A reminder has again been issued asking patients who attend the site to stay in their cars until their appointment time, to avoid queues.
Claire King, public health consultant at Cumbria County Council, said: “The continued drop in new cases is good news and reflects the efforts people have been making to stick to the lockdown rules.
“But any notions that we can start to take it easy are really wide of the mark — now is the time we need stay the course and drive infections right down.
“Only then can we be confident about getting back to normal.”
In the last seven days there have been six COVID-19 related deaths in Eden, an increase of one on the previous week.
