Director of public health outlines plan for 'living with Covid more safely'

Rachel Spencer-Henshall has encouraged people to keep up to date with their vaccinations, wash their hands regularly and, if they feel unwell, take sensible precautions to protect others.

Ms Spencer-Henshall said: “We’ve come this far because people across Kirklees played their part to protect themselves and their community.

"Over the past two years, you stepped up when you were invited to get vaccinated, you got tested to reduce transmission and you isolated to protect people who were vulnerable to infection.

“We can all continue to play our part by taking some really simple steps that mean living with Covid safely.

"The most important thing we can do is to keep up to date with our vaccinations.

"Over 314,000 Kirklees residents have taken up the vaccination offer. This is the single most important reason why we can look to the future with confidence.

“Spring boosters are now available to people over 75 and residents with certain health conditions.

"If it is six months since your last vaccination, you can log on to the national booking system and book yours today.

"And if you haven’t had your first jab yet, it’s not to late. Just log on to the NHS website or call 119 to get the protection you need.

“The pandemic has also taught us that simple actions can make a big difference.

"Washing your hands regularly and using hand sanitiser is a really effective way to protect yourself.

"If we can keep up good hand hygiene, we’ll reduce the spread not just of Covid, but of a host of other nasty infections.

“From April 1, testing won’t be free for most of us. That means we will all need to take responsibility to make sure we don’t pass the virus on.

"If you’re feeling unwell, especially with cold-like symptoms, my strong advice is to stay at home until you feel better or for at least five days.

"I really hope employers will be flexible with staff who think they might have Covid. It’s in no-one’s interests to have big outbreaks of Covid in the workplace.

“If you do need to leave home while you’re ill, wearing a face covering and giving people as much space as possible can reduce the chances of you spreading the infection.

"And if you’re planning to visit older people or people who might be more vulnerable to infection, you can still purchase testing kits.

“These steps are small but absolutely crucial in keeping the infection rate of Covid-19 under control, protecting the most vulnerable residents living in Kirklees and supporting our NHS.”

The Government has updated its guidance as the number of Covid infections in England reached a record high.

Under the new guidelines, anyone with a positive Covid-19 test result is now advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days, which is when they are most infectious.

People with symptoms of a respiratory infection, including Covid-19, and a high temperature or who feel unwell, are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature.