THE woman in charge of public health in Tenbury and the Teme Valley has warned of the pressures being place on the NHS.

Across Worcestershire cases of Covid-19 are on the rise.

There were 945 new cases of Covid-19 in the week before Christmas, which was an increase of 37 per cent on the previous week.

Malvern Hills District that includes Tenbury saw an even greater increase of 137 per cent in the week alone.

Meanwhile, pressure on NHS services are growing and are at the same levels seen earlier in the year at the start of the pandemic. This is alongside usual winter pressures.

“We are seeing numbers of cases going up sharply in areas which is really concerning,” said Dr Kathryn Cobain, Director of Public Health for Worcestershire.

“The pressures being felt on NHS services are at the same level as we saw earlier in the pandemic with the additional usual winter pressures. This is concerning. We must do all we can to protect the NHS over the festive period and beyond.

“I would urge older or more vulnerable family members to encourage their loved ones to meet them virtually or over the phone rather than face-to-face.”