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Warning from health chief as COVID rates hit new high
21/12/2021
Ansaf Azhar has reiterated the call for people to get the most protection possible by getting a booster jab
As Covid case rates in the Cherwell District hit 1,000 per 100,000 of the population for the first time, there’s a warning from Oxfordshire’s Health Chief that we need to take extra care.
Across Oxfordshire as a whole the figures are slightly higher at 1,017.1 per 100,000 people with case rates in Oxford soaring 79 per cent in the last seven days
The latest figures represent a 34 per cent rise on the previous week, with 7,088 new COVID cases recorded across the county up to last Friday. 1,519 of those were in the Cherwell District.
The Omicron variant now accounts for at least 65 per cent of local cases with infections at the highest levels in children, but there have been steep rises in the number of cases in people in their 20s. This is a group of people that have largely been double rather than triple-jabbed.
Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Public Health Ansaf Azhar has reiterated the call for people to get the most protection possible by getting a booster jab.
He said: “With Christmas so close now we know that people will want to socialise and mix with loved ones and friends. Our message is to do so with great care. Try to avoid very large gatherings and always remember the pandemic knowledge that has become so familiar to us all.
“Ventilate rooms with fresh air, wash your hands regularly, wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces, keep your distance from people when possible. Every little bit of cautious behaviour will help stop the spread of the virus and protect you and your loved ones.
“Perhaps most importantly we urge people to test before they go to meet people. Please don’t unconsciously take the virus into someone else’s home and ruin their Christmas and New Year.
“We have known throughout the pandemic that older people are more vulnerable so it is particularly important to take these precautions when you are going to be in contact with those age groups.”
In the face of rising cases the Welsh government yesterday announced they would bring in extra restrictions from Boxing Day. This afternoon Nichola Sturgeon has said football fans won’t be allowed in stadiums and Hogmanay events will be cancelled in Scotland from the same day. In England Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said no new measures are being brought in at the moment, but they couldn’t be ruled out.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam