New Covid-19 cases 'falling' in Wakefield after local lockdowns in Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale

People in Calderdale, Bradford and Kirklees, which shares an administrative border with Wakefield, have been banned from visiting other households after a surprise announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Thursday night.

The government said the move was made in response to figures showing Covid cases were climbing in those areas. Greater Manchester and East Lancashire are also affected by the new rules.

But on Friday afternoon, Wakefield Council’s director of public health, Anna Hartley said on Twitter that the “numbers are currently going down” in the district.

Ms Hartley, who’d been asked why Wakefield was not covered by the new restrictions, also confirmed the rate of infection was not as high as in other places.

At the start of the week, the council had predicted there would be an “improvement” in the local situation, after a rise in the number of cases earlier this month. There were 197 new positive tests recorded between July 1 and 25, bringing the overall total to 1,812 since the pandemic started.

That was mainly linked to outbreaks in workplaces such as Forza Foods in Normanton and at Urban House – a residential complex for asylum seekers.

Between July 13 and 19, the local infection rate fell from 19.1 to 17.4 cases per 100,000 people.

However, the district remains classed an “area of concern”, meaning its case figures are being scrutinised closely.