By Top consultant speaks out as Covid cases continue to climb
Moving into the next local Covid alert level in North Lincolnshire is not a foregone conclusion despite a sharp rise in new cases, according to a top consultant – but that’s only if everyone sticks to the basic preventative measures.
The warning comes as the number of new cases has risen by 40 per cent in the last week – taking the average rate of infection per 100,000 across seven days up 134 as of October 8.
This is the highest it has been since mass testing began.
Of those cases, 90 per cent are among people aged less than 59 years old. The majority of those are between the ages of 18 to 29 years old.
Jilla Burgess-Allen, a senior consultant in public health in North Lincolnshire, said: “The number of people who have contracted Covid-19 in North Lincolnshire has risen every week for the last month. But that trajectory can be changed – it is not inevitable that we will move from a medium risk to a high risk.
“We do know there will be a level of infection which exists across the area though it is not a foregone conclusion that it gets completely out of control.”
The public health team is urging people to stick to the guidelines – which have solid scientific grounding.
Ms Burgess-Allen said: “If people stick firmly to the measures which have been put in place then the virus can be contained.
“Hands, face, space is not just a slogan. The measures have solid scientific foundations and are evidence based. This works, we know it works.
“Washing your hands, wearing face coverings and maintaining a safe social distance from people are the absolute lynchpins in preventative measures – these are fundamental to containing the spread.
“Sticking to them in combination is key as one of them on their own just isn’t as effective. This isn’t just throwing everything at Covid and hoping something sticks – we have to have all these in place consistently.”
The next step, Ms Burgess-Allen, said, is then self-isolating if Covid manages to get past the three preventative measures.
She said: “If someone contracts Covid-19 despite these measure, getting tested and self-isolating is an absolute necessity. People must do this to protect others.”
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