Proceed with 'care and caution' over Covid as Freedom Day looms

The warning comes amid rising cases of coronavirus across the county and Nottingham city, ahead of Monday when most Covid rules end in England and Scotland.

Speaking at the county’s weekly briefing Jonathan Gribbin director of public health for Nottinghamshire County Council said he was “delighted as anyone” that freedoms were returning but urged people “take things steadily.”

By next Monday, he said “across Nottinghamshre, just about everyone will be looking forward to positive changes, with many looking forward to leaving behind some of the legal restrictions. But we are not leaving behind Covid behind us. Covid will still be with us.”

"Many of the measures we have followed, will continue to be relevant to keep ourselves and our families safe and the NHS safe, from any some kind of surge, displacing activity.

He stressed keeping up the hands face space measures and testing.

"I urge people to act carefully and remain cautious, as legal restrictions are lifted, this weekend and into next week,” He said.

Compared to the England average of 350 cases per 100,000, county rates stood at 413 per 100,00. Numbers were increasing, with around 3400 people in the last week in the county testing positive for coronavirus. Increases were seen in every district and borough, with “quite sharp increases” in some areas.

People under 40 represented 75 percent of cases, with many in the 18-22 group, and secondary school age.

In the south of the county, the 18-22 group rate was plateauing, but in the north, increasing. There had been more activity in hospitals.

Lucy Hubber Nottingham City director of public health reported increasing city rates with 1464 cases up from last week’s 1338.

“Some good news, a slowing down of the rate of increase, but we are still seeing cases increasing and they are forecast to increase over the next few days, so we are not in a position to relax or say to people that Covid has ended for us, quite the opposite.” she said.

City rates were now 440 per hundred thousand, up on last week’s of 402, “significantly higher” than England’s average.

"There is quite a lot of Covid circulating in the wider community,” she said.

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