MORE than 1,640 births have been registered across Worcestershire since national lockdown restrictions eased – meaning 95 per cent of the registration backlog has now been dealt with.
Register offices were closed for three months due to the pandemic and since then the busy teams from Worcester, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Malvern, Evesham and Redditch have registered a total of 1,642 births and are now left with only 80 or so births to be processed.
Councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for responsibilities and communities said: “A backlog of registrations had built up due to lockdown, however the Registration Services teams have been working really hard over the recent weeks to ensure the majority of births have now been registered.
“It’s an incredibly special moment for families when they register the birth of their child, so it’s great news that we’re now on top of our registrations.”
Not only were births caught in the backlog, marriages and civil partnerships were postponed due to the lockdown.
Since re-opening, 70 ceremonies have been completed since restrictions were lifted in July 2020.
Registration services revealed that couples who decided not to tie the knot during the pandemic, have postponed their big day until later in the year or 2021 and beyond.
In comparison to last year, Worcestershire County Council confirmed 193 ceremonies took place in July 2019.
To adhere to social distancing regulations, birth registrations and notices of marriage are strictly by appointment only. Appointments can be made using the online booking system.
