Portsmouth has done 'incredibly well' in Covid-19 fight so far, says city's public health director
PORTSMOUTH has done ‘incredibly well’ in the fight against coronavirus so far, the city’s top public health official has said.
However Helen Atkinson is warning residents against getting complacent because it could see infections quickly rise.
In the week to July 28, the city had an infection rate of 1.4 per 100,000, compared to 53.2 in Leicester – which has been placed into a local lockdown.
The rate here is the lowest of any major city in England.
Portsmouth City Council’s director of public health said: ‘As a densely populated city we've done incredibly well to maintain a low rate of infection and residents should be congratulated for their following of the national guidance, which has helped to achieve this.
‘As a new virus we're continuing to learn more about how it spreads but when you look at places that have experienced higher rates of infection, factors such as poor compliance, mass gatherings and large food processing industry may have had a role.
‘Becoming complacent now could quickly see the rate of infection rise in Portsmouth and force us to return to tighter restrictions, as other parts of the country are experiencing.
‘It remains critically important for everyone to continue to follow the guidance around social distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene to help us keep infection rates low in the city.
‘We should still all be looking to stay two metres apart from people we don’t live with; with the exception of a support bubble for single adult households, and should only reduce this to one metre plus when two metres isn't possible and extra precautions are in place, such as face coverings.’
She added: ‘The current situation in Portsmouth is positive and we clearly all want it to stay this way. Our Outbreak Control Plan will help us to achieve this.
‘It details the steps we need to take, and the people we need to work with, to monitor cases in the city so that if there are two or more in any single place we can act quickly and look to stop further spread.
‘The document will be continually reviewed and updated to reflect any changes in guidance or new information about the virus.
‘Integral to this plan is strong partnership working both within the council, for example with Adult Social Care, and also with local health partners such as the NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, and national bodies such as Public Health England through the local Health Protection Team.’
If you develop symptoms, such as a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss, or change to, your sense of smell or taste, then you must stay at home and request a test immediately.
If you test positive for coronavirus then you, and anyone you've been in close contact with, need to follow the self-isolation guidance to avoid potentially spreading the virus.
All of the latest guidance can be found at nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19