Confirmed cases of Covid-19 have fallen slightly in Brighton & Hove with a small 4% drop in numbers since last week. In the seven days up to 3 September there were 876 cases, compared 908 the previous week. That’s equivalent to a weekly rate of 300.3 per 100,000 residents and lower than the rates for England and the South East at 307.6 and 324.9 per hundred thousand respectively.
Alistair Hill, Director of Public Health with Brighton & Hove City Council, says the city’s public health team is expecting Covid cases could rise again now that people are returning to work and education after the summer.
He explains why it’s so important to look for signs of Covid and to keep testing to stop it spreading out of control. He said:
“I’m impressed by all the work schools, colleges, universities and businesses have been doing to slow the spread of Covid when people start to go back after the long break. We should all be grateful that so much thought and care has been done to keep us all safe.
“This is the time of year when we’re used to colds and other bugs spreading when we come back together after the summer holidays. This year, I’m asking everyone to be extra careful.
“Case numbers remain high and we all have an individual responsibility to stop the virus spreading.
“Please look out for the Covid symptoms and take quick action if you suspect that you, or your child or someone you care for, might be infected.
“The main signs to look for are high temperature or fever – even if very mild, a loss of or change to your sense of taste or smell, and a new or continuous cough. These can sometimes be accompanied by a sore throat, persistent headache or runny nose and confused with a cold.
“If you spot any Covid symptoms book a PCR test on the government website, www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, and stay home until you get the result. It’s better to stay home for a couple of days than to risk spreading the disease to other people.
“At the same time, keep using twice-weekly lateral flow tests when you have no symptoms, especially if you go out to places where you mix with people you don’t live with. They’re an important weapon in our defence against the disease because about one in three people who catch the virus don’t have the classic symptoms, or they can be very mild.
“If you’ve been vaccinated there is still a small chance you could catch Covid but the symptoms will be less severe and it is much less likely to result in hospital care.
“That’s why it’s so important to get fully vaccinated so that you, and the people you care about, won’t become seriously ill if you come into contact with the virus.
“If you haven’t had your vaccine yet, what are you waiting for? Please protect yourself from this dangerous virus by getting vaccinated as soon as you can.”