As the new school term begins and county COVID-19 cases remain high, Warwickshire County Council is reminding all residents to continue to take precautions...
As the new school term begins and county COVID-19 cases remain high, Warwickshire County Council is reminding all residents to continue to take precautions around others, including those who have been vaccinated.
Following guidance to reduce the of spread COVID-19 is still really important. This means regular handwashing or sanitising, wearing a face covering in crowded spaces, maintaining a distance from people outside your household and meeting outdoors where possible. Regular testing and getting vaccinated is also key to stopping the spread and reducing the chance of serious illness.
Testing is critical to track the spread of the virus and help people know when they should isolate. Everyone should take rapid tests at home every three to four days and follow-up any positive results with a PCR test. In particular students and secondary school pupils should make sure they do this to avoid outbreaks at schools and colleges which could bring the virus home to vulnerable relatives.
Two doses of the vaccine give the best protection from the virus, but people can still get it, and pass it on. The vaccine will help to reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and after both jabs the chance being hospitalised is reduced by over 92%.
Cllr Margaret Bell, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care & Health, said:
“We want our residents to be safe and healthy and this means continuing to take steps to keep everyone as safe from COVID as possible. Remembering hands, face, space, fresh air will help to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID and other illnesses which typically spread at the start of a school term and as we move into Autumn.
“1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have any symptoms so regular testing will help to identify positive cases and stop the spread. To remember to test it helps to get into a routine so the behaviour becomes a habit. To help data monitoring the test result – positive or negative - should be recorded at www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result. Anyone who tests positive must get a confirmatory PCR test and self-isolate for 10 days.”
Cllr Jeff Morgan, Portfolio Holder for Children, Families & Education, added:
“I hope people will continue to follow health advice to stay safe and well. Our students have missed out on so much learning and so many social opportunities over the past 18 months and we must do all we can to avoid this happening again.
“We are all looking forward to a new term and schools have been working hard getting ready to welcome children and young people back to classrooms. It is so important that Warwickshire communities keep working together to do the right thing to keep settings open and children and young people in education. The message is clear: keep taking regular tests, stay at home if you’re feeling unwell and get vaccinated if you are eligible.”
For more information visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk