Published: 16 July 2021
AS COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Plymouth residents are being urged to continue doing everything they can to stop the virus spreading after national restrictions come to an end on Monday (19 July).
Residents are asked to continue to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, even if not legally required to do so, as well as to get tested, stay outside whenever possible and to get vaccinated.
Plymouth City Council is to continue asking staff and visitors to all its buildings to wear face coverings, to wash hands or use hand sanitizer before entering and maintain a safe distance.
Councillor Nick Kelly, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “The Government has been clear that the dangers from coronavirus are far from over and that we need to be cautious and take responsibility for our actions after the national restrictions are lifted.
“This is critical as cases continue to increase in Plymouth and more people in our community become infected. The Council will be maintaining its current COVID-19-secure measures after 19 July to keep its customers and staff safe. I know many other employers and venues are also likely to continue to exercise caution in line with the Government guidance and ask people to wear face coverings in busy indoor spaces. I hope everyone will support them and do their bit to keep Plymouth safe.”
Dr Ruth Harrell, Director of Public Health for Plymouth, said: “As the Government has outlined, COVID-19 will continue to pose a significant risk after the mandatory restrictions are lifted. The rapid rise in cases in Plymouth in recent weeks shows just how quickly the virus can spread around our community. We cannot afford to ease up now on our combined efforts to fight the virus.
“We know from experience in Plymouth that we want to keep each other safe; as well as ourselves. As we go through into the Step 4 of the roadmap there are four things that we can do to keep each other safe;
- Wear a mask in indoor public spaces
- Get tested
- Stay outside where possible
- Get your vaccinations
“Even though we have high rates of detected cases, there will be people who have COVID-19 and could be passing it on, but don’t know it. Please take a lateral flow test to check that this isn’t you. Do it twice a week as a routine, and especially do it before you meet with other people to keep them safe.
“Please also remember that although the vaccine helps greatly to stop you becoming seriously ill, you can still catch COVID-19, and pass it on to others. So even if you have been double-vaccinated, please still follow these measures.”
Dr Harrell said the number that many confirmed COVID-19 cases were amongst young people, though rates were also rising across all ages.
She said: “Unfortunately, Covid-19 is a very infectious disease, and we know that as we have progressed through the roadmap, people have had more contacts and so it is going to spread.
“Around 30 per cent of new cases have caught COVID-19 from a household member, another 10 per cent in other settings that can be identified, but the majority (around 60 per cent) do not know where it has come from. All we know is that the more close social contacts that you have, the greater the chance of being infected; especially at the moment when rates are so high.
“We are likely to have a few weeks with high rates, and now is another time when we have to pull together to keep Plymouth safe.”