Stay safe - don’t forget the basics
With an increase in Covid-19 cases this week, Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, explains why it’s so important to keep up with the basic Covid safety guidelines while the NHS vaccination programme rolls out.
He said:
“We had 56 confirmed new Covid-19 cases in Brighton & Hove last week. That’s an increase of 23 cases, compared with 33 cases recorded in the previous week. It’s really good news that cases in the 60+ age group cases remain very low. But the highest rise in cases this week was among young people and young adults, who will not have had their first vaccination yet.
"Every new case recorded is a stark reminder that the virus is still circulating in our city. The Delta variant (formerly known as the variant first identified in India) is now circulating in the south east. Research from Public Health England this week tells us that the Delta variant appears to be linked to an increased risk of hospitalisation compared with the Alpha (formerly known as Kent) variant.
"Although the vaccination programme is proving to be very effective at reducing the spread of Covid, on its own it’s not enough to keep Brighton & Hove safe. All of this means, sadly, we’re not out of the woods yet.
“As our city starts to get busy again, the basic Covid safety measures remain just as important as they ever were. I know that everyone wants to ensure cases stay low, so that we can stay on the path to recovery. We can all still play our part – that includes by wearing face coverings when away from home, if you can, and ensuring they properly cover both nose and mouth. It’s still important to try to keep a safe distance from people who aren’t in your household or bubble and to regularly wash hands or use hand sanitiser. With the weather getting warmer, there are more opportunities to meet up with friends and family outside, and we are blessed with great beaches and parks. If you decide to meet indoors it’s really important to keep windows and doors open to let fresh air circulate.
“All these safety measures give different types of protection and work together to stop the virus spreading. On top of regular testing and vaccinations, our efforts to stop Covid will help us avoid spreading the virus to friends and family and keep Brighton & Hove safe.”
