THE NUMBER of people in Waverley borough confirmed as having Covid-19 has dropped to levels not seen since last summer – while Farnham’s vaccine programme relaunched yesterday (Thursday, February 25) after a two-week lull.

According to the latest data, there were 46.7 confirmed cases per 100,000 people in Waverley during the seven days to February 19. It is the first time the borough’s infection rate has dipped below 50 since late September.

It also marks out Waverley as the least-infected of all 11 Surrey boroughs, and is significantly below the Surrey average of 70.5 cases per 100,000 and the England average of 113.8.

At the height of the winter outbreak, in the week to January 4, there were 728.3 cases per 100,000 people in Waverley, higher than the national average.

And the vaccine roll-out, identified as a key factor of Boris Johnson’s roadmap for easing Covid restrictions, is also set to get back under way in Farnham after a two-week delay.

Having offered jabs to all over-70s two weeks ahead of schedule, Farnham’s GPs were halfway through vaccinating the town’s over-65s when its vaccine supplies were halted in early February to allow other areas to catch up.

That ‘halt order’ was finally relinquished this week, with fresh supplies of 400 AstraZeneca and 1,175 Pfizer jabs set to be administered across three clinics at Farnham Hospital’s vaccine clinic today, tomorrow and Saturday.

“A tale of two halves,” said Dr Ed Wernick, the GP leading Farnham’s Covid efforts. “It has been very frustrating, essentially having to down tools for such a long time – and even when up and running, supplies will only peak at one third of our maximum capacity. But on the other hand, the UK has now given out 18 million vaccines and is globally leading the way.”