Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in (a) Walsall and (b) England and Wales tested positive for covid-19 in (i) October 2022, (ii) January 2023 and (iii) the most recent 30-day period for which figures are available.

To provide more accurate data on COVID-19 infections and avoid double counting cases, if a person tests positive multiple times within a certain time period, these are all counted as a single case of COVID-19. In England this period is 90 days, and in Wales 42 days.

For Walsall, in October 2022 there were 952 cases of COVID-19 detected. In January 2023 there were 468 cases of COVID-19 detected. In the 30-day period between 14 March 2023 and 12 April 2023 there were 404 new cases of COVID-19 detected.

For England and Wales, in October 2022 there were 217,044 cases of COVID-19 detected. In January 2023 there were 83,659 new cases of COVID-19 detected. In the 30-day period between 14 March 2023 and 12 April 2023 there were 92,736 new cases of COVID-19 detected.