Covid-19 campaign takes to Swindon streets

Swindon Borough Council’s ‘Swindon: It’s up to all of us’ campaign, which launched last week in the wake of a government decision to put the town on a national Covid-19 watchlist, urges all individuals to play their part in minimising the spread of the virus.

To back this up, council staff joined forces with Wiltshire Police to speak to residents and businesses in the SN1 and SN2 postcode areas.

Contact tracing data has shown that a high proportion of new confirmed cases are from residents living in those postcodes.

The team handed out free face masks and bottles of hand sanitizer as they communicated the vital public health messages, which offered guidance around social distancing, regular hand washing and the wearing of face masks in shops.

Advice was also given around what to do if a member of a household shows symptoms of the virus and where they can go for further information and support.

Steve Maddern, Swindon Borough Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “We have been working proactively with Wiltshire Police to ensure our vital public health messages are being received by everybody in the community.

“Together we have spoken to residents and business owners and I am pleased to report that the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Wiltshire Police’s Superintendent Adrian Burt said: “We all have a role to play in trying to contain the virus and ultimately help save lives.

“We have outstanding relationships with the communities we serve so we wanted to help colleagues at Swindon Borough Council get their messages across by engaging with the public in the SN1 and SN2 postcode areas.

“Personal responsibility is key – follow the latest advice and consider your actions carefully.”