Residents urged to “stay within the rules”

WARRINGTON’S public health leaders are urging people not to be complacent with the current coronavirus restrictions.

Tier 2 “high alert” restrictions remain in place in Warrington, with the government due to review the current tiers tomorrow (Wednesday).
Due to all the hard work residents have put in so far, the number of coronavirus cases in the borough have come down compared to the peak of infection. However, there are still some sections of the community where numbers are high, so it’s important not to be complacent with the current restrictions.
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: “We know it can be difficult following the government restrictions as we approach the festive period, but remember you can still enjoy yourselves responsibly within the rules.
“It’s important that we continue the progress already made in bringing cases down to avoid the possibility of moving into tier 3, which would mean certain hospitality businesses and venues would have to close.”
Warrington Borough Council has been supporting the NHS with the rollout of the coronavirus vaccination programme, where the vaccine will be offered to people most at risk in Warrington in the coming weeks.
Thara Raj, Warrington’s director of public health, said: “It is great news that the coronavirus vaccine is being rolled out across the country, but we must ensure we continue doing all we can to reduce the risk of transmission, including washing our hands often, wearing a face covering, and maintaining social distance.”
“As we have seen before, cases can rise quickly, so we must continue to protect vulnerable members of our community that have not yet been vaccinated. We will begin vaccinating patients in the coming weeks, and our local hospitals and GP practices are ready to roll out the vaccine to those in the highest priority groups when appropriate.”
Warrington has also recently received a batch of lateral flow tests (LFTs) for use in the borough as part of the rapid mass testing programme for people who are not displaying coronavirus symptoms. Testing using the LFTs is being rolled out – starting small to see what works for Warrington and standing up the rapid testing based on learning. The government has also announced a change to the self-isolation period from 14 to 10 days. This means that people who test positive should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms or 10 days from point of taking a positive test if asymptomatic. For more information about the self-isolation period, visit GOV.UK.
Thara continued: “We are working alongside our partners across the health and social care system to ensure that the tests are stored, administered and distributed accordingly. Some of our staff have undertaken training to use the LFTs to safely detect whether somebody has coronavirus and record the results.”
To keep up to date about coronavirus in Warrington, visit warrington.gov.uk/coronavirus