BRADFORD has one of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the country, latest virus data has revealed. 

The district recorded the second highest number of new cases in all of England behind Leeds in the seven days to April 9, and its infection rate per 100,000 was the highest in West Yorkshire and fourth highest in the country (following Mansfield, Corby and Barnsley) at the time of writing, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

The data shows cases in Bradford fell by a total of 10 from the previous week, but that was the smallest drop of any local authority area in West Yorkshire. 

From left to right, the following reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to April 9; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to April 9; rate of new cases in the seven days to April 2; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to April 2: Bradford, 85.0, (459), 86.9, (469); Wakefield, 81.0, (282), 108.2, (377); Kirklees, 70.7, (311), 75.5, (332); Leeds, 62.3, (494), 87.1, (691); Calderdale, 29.3, (62), 50.6, (107).

When asked about what was being done in Bradford to curb Covid-19, the Council said it was “working hard” through its partnerships with healthcare professionals, the voluntary sector, community leaders and community ‘champions’ to reduce infections.

A spokesperson said: “We have striven to increase vaccine take up by challenging misinformation, correcting this through health specialists from different backgrounds alongside providing accessible information in community languages, different formats, door knocking and via social media platforms. We have organised pop-up vaccination sites at mosques and community centres with separate areas for male and females to receive vaccination.”

Bevan House, which provides GP services for vulnerable people, has also been supporting those who often have a number of health inequalities and encouraging the homeless, asylum seekers, sex workers and others to receive vaccinations. 

“We are also making real progress with contacting cases that the national team could not find.  And we have now started to contact contacts that the national team cannot reach, this is a pilot project and we are one of the first local authorities nationally to undertake this, with encouraging results so far,” said the spokesperson.

They added: “We have also changed the threshold of the usual weekly wage from £350 to £500, so that a greater percentage of those applying for the support grant will be eligible to receive the self- isolation support.”

The Council said it is one of the first local authorities to do this and the initial results are good, but other measures are also being looked at to increase the percentage of those who qualify for self-isolation support and ways of ensuring the package of measures available is more widely known and understood.

The latest figures precede Monday’s easing of lockdown restrictions, so it’s likely the impact of that step out of lockdown will become clearer in the coming weeks.

A top pharmacist has urged people to remember the ‘hands, face and space’ mantra as lockdown restrictions ease.

Professor Mahendra Patel, an honorary visiting professor at the University of Bradford, and member on both local and national pharmacy boards, said people have been “hemmed in for 12 months” and now they are able to go out and about “they become slightly forgetful the virus is still out there and the more we move around the more the virus spreads”. 

He added: “Social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands still applies, please don’t forget that.”

Prof Patel also highlighted the importance of people coming forward for testing and getting the vaccine.

In particular, he has sought to reassure people who may have concerns that the vaccine is at odds with religious practices. For example, the British Islamic Medical Association states that taking Covid-19 vaccines or Covid-19 tests during Ramadan does not invalidate the fast.

Prof Patel said: “People should not delay nor hesitate coming forward to get their vaccines at fear of breaking their fast. The vaccine is non-nutritional and is given by intramuscular injection, also an entry route for injections permissible during fasting. We should be mindful that people of other faiths may also be fasting, often at different and regular times in the year, such as Hindus, for example.

"There is nothing in the Hindu religious teachings or interpretation thereof which suggests Hindus should not have the Covid-19 vaccine and irrespective of any fasting.”

Prof Patel, who is a member of Bradford Hindu Council, added: “We at the council are urging people to come forward for the vaccine and that it does not conflict with any religious beliefs or practices. This is further endorsed by various Hindu priests and community leaders both in the region and nationally.”

He added: “Bradford is going strong with the vaccine roll-out. We have already passed 250,000, which is half the district.

"It’s vitally important that we continue with the good work we have already done, so I would urge anyone who receives an invitation to get the vaccine and not delay. Let’s all play our part in helping to keep everyone safe from this nasty virus, to protect themselves, their loved ones and the society as a whole.”

Meanwhile, Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said people should not behave in the same way as they did before the pandemic as he called for people to act cautiously for “a little bit more time”.

It comes after the Prime Minister urged people to continue to “exercise restraint” after Monday's easing of restrictions.

Boris Johnson said that although vaccines had helped, lockdown restrictions had done “the bulk of the work” in reducing infections.  

And he warned that the easing of lockdown restrictions will “inevitably” lead to more infections and deaths.

Asked about the remarks, Prof Harnden said: “Every time that we ‘unlockdown’, we push infection rates up, and the danger of pushing infection rates up is we get much more transmission in the community.

"We will all want to get our lives back, we all want to enjoy ourselves again, but we must be cautious and do this slowly. Otherwise we’ll get back to square one.”