The Isle of Wight’s top NHS boss has said she feels like a ‘party pooper’ for the Isle of Wight Festival, but has warned of the expected increase of Covid cases on the already stretched health services.
Having seen a summer surge of cases, pushing the Isle of Wight NHS Trust into dealing with a third wave of the pandemic, chief executive Maggie Oldham has said the services are nervously anticipating a further surge following the Isle of Wight Festival, which is set to take place next week.
Events that have already taken place this summer have seen a fallout of cases in the weeks following, with Cornish music festival Boardmasters linked to 4,700 new cases.
Rise in positive tests
With the influx of tourists to the Island, more mixing of people and the relaxation of protective restrictions, positive Covid tests on the Island have risen — with some days in the last month recording more than 100 new positive tests.
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Government figures show between the last week of July and 1st September, 2,289 Covid cases were recorded on the Island — nearly a fifth of the Island’s entire cases since the pandemic began.
Oldham: “Please, everybody, do not be apathetic”
Speaking at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust Board today (Thursday), Ms Oldham said,
“It really makes me sad when I am out on the Island to see absolute apathy for wearing masks, social distancing and hand hygiene.
“Please, everybody, do not be apathetic, Covid has not gone away.
“I urge anyone who is out and about to follow government guidelines. We all have a part to play in trying to keep our hospital pressures at a lower level than we are currently seeing them.”
20 per cent of beds occupied by C19 patient
Expanding on some of the Covid risks the hospital is facing, chief operative officer Joe Smyth, said 20 per cent of the acute beds are now occupied by a Covid positive patient and a second intensive care unit has had to open, which is already ‘very, very full’.
Messaging will be stepped up
Director of communications at the trust, Kirk Millis-Ward, said it was being recognised nationally that messaging around measures to keep ourselves safe was not cutting through to the public in a way it had earlier in the pandemic. However, he said the public messaging before the Festival will be stepped up, working with other public organisations, and strengthened.
With up to 50,000 people anticipated to attend the Festival, organisers behind the event say it is taking precautions to ensure it goes ahead Covid safe, including asking people of their Covid status — through a vaccine passport, a negative lateral flow test or proof of immunity.
Festival: Ticket holders must adhere to Covid guidelines
A spokesperson for the Festival said,
“The Isle of Wight Festival is working closely with all relevant authorities and Public Health England to take the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe on-site and in the Island community.
“The event’s Covid-19 guidelines are on the official Website and all ticket holders must adhere to these to gain entry to the Festival.
“The Isle of Wight Festival is also operating under tight Covid testing controls during the site build.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Nick Fewings under CC BY 2.0
