Published Thursday 9 April 2020 at 10:50
Our Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, Professor Dominic Harrison, has written another column for the Lancashire Telegraph: No early end to coronavirus lockdown.
Read it here:
We are now getting to the end of the three-week lockdown.
We have been doing a great job at locking down our households and neighbourhoods to limit our presence outside of the house to only that which is absolutely necessary. This still remains the number priority to save lives.
To those asking when we can get back to normal, my honest advice is “sorry- don’t hold your breath for any relaxation of the current restrictions anytime soon.”
We can think of the pandemic as having four phases.
First is the rise and fall of the initial wave of infections; second a control phase when numbers come down and new hospital admissions reduce, then an exit phase as we get more and more people either immune or vaccinated and finally a recovery phase when life can restart in full.
We are still in phase one.
For now, we should see the rate at which new Covid-19 cases occur slow down within a week or two after the end of this first lockdown period – but the numbers in hospital will still rise.
This is the hardest part of the pandemic cycle.
We will still have new cases appearing every day along with rising deaths.
We think hospitals around the country will see the biggest demand soon after mid-April and the numbers of Covid-19 cases being admitted to hospital will continue at high levels throughout May.
When a crisis happens, people show their true colours.
In Pennine Lancashire, we can be very proud of our response.
Our front-line key workers and volunteers are already working hard to keep us all safe and well.
In the NHS, in local government, in blue light services, those in care homes and in domiciliary care, those in food shops and supply services, those in Hubs, foodbanks, essential waste disposal, home delivery services and in many other areas – we are showing outstanding social solidarity.
Our staff and communities are showing us there is such a thing as society, that we really do look out for each other and that no one is alone.
So, I hope everyone is joining the ‘clap for carers’ tribute which takes place on Thursday evenings at 8pm where people come to their doorsteps to clap, cheer and make noise in honour of all those working tirelessly to care for others.
All of them deserve our deepest respect, love and gratitude.
You can also find it on the Lancashire Telegraph website.