Published Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 13:40
As we approach the school holidays, Ramadan and Easter, many people are keen to ‘get back to normal’. We have had two years of living in a pandemic where so many things haven’t been possible.
But as the Covid rates are starting to increase again, it’s really important that when mixing with people we don’t live with, we do so safely.
If meeting up with friends or family you don’t live with, here’s a few things to bear in mind:
- Stay at home and don’t meet people if you are unwell. The main COVID symptoms are a high temperature, cough and change in sense of taste/ smell, however many more symptoms have been reported
- Take up the opportunity for the Spring Booster if you are eligible. The vaccine is the best way of avoiding getting seriously ill from COVID-19
- If you have friends/ family members that are eligible for the Spring Booster, encourage them to get vaccinated
- Meeting outside is always safer. If this isn’t possible, remember to keep rooms well ventilated to help maintain a flow of fresh air to help clear any virus particles.
- Exercise extra caution if seeing older or vulnerable people, including considering wearing face coverings particularly in busy places such as churches and mosques over Easter and Ramadan
- And, of course, keep washing your hands regularly.
Abdul Razaq, Blackburn with Darwen’s new Director of Public Health, said:
“As we approach the school holidays, Ramadan and Easter, these are traditionally times when people like to meet with extended family and friends.
Whilst we are learning to live with Covid, I would encourage everyone planning to participate in social activities during this time to do so safely.
Throughout this pandemic, vaccines have been and continue to be our first line of defence. Patients currently in hospital with Covid-19 are older people whose immunity, following their previous vaccines, may be starting to wane. It is therefore absolutely crucial that people aged 75 and over, those in in care homes and those 12 and over with weakened immune systems take up the opportunity for the Spring COVID Booster”.
Whilst the pandemic risks are certainly reducing and the future is looking brighter, we are still living with the risks of a pandemic and the rates across the country are starting to rise again.
The advice from Lancashire’s Directors of Public Health is that, where possible, we should all try to keep up most of our current infection control behaviours – mask-wearing in busy and crowded public places including on public transport, self-isolating when necessary, washing hands and ventilating rooms where possible.
Keeping up the current excellent progress in reducing Covid risks across Lancashire is going to depend on us all voluntarily ‘doing the right thing’ for a little while yet.
As we learn to live with Covid-19, let’s do so safely.