'We All Need To Take Action' - Brighton Public Health Boss' Message As Cases Rise

Friday, 30 October 2020 10:23

Brighton and Hove City Council's Director of Public Health has issued a stark message to residents amidst rising coronavirus case rates.

It comes as the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Brighton and Hove is increasing exponentially, with Brighton's proportion of cases in the population being marked the highest in all of Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

Acknowledging the difficulty being faced during the pandemic, Director of Public Health, Alistair Hill, said:

“Rates of Covid-19 are too high in the city right now and we all need to take action to slow the spread of the virus.

“The pandemic’s been tough for us and the guidelines are inconvenient, but they will only stop Covid spreading if we all do them together."

We're being urged to remember to follow social distancing measures, including reducing the number of people we mix with, wearing a face covering, washing our hands regularly, and staying at home at the first sign of symptoms.

Alistair added:

“We know it can be difficult to self-isolate if you have symptoms, had a positive test result or have been told you are a close contact of a case. But support is available through the council’s Community Hub for everyone who needs it.

"Anyone who has been asked to isolate due to having or being in contact with someone who has Covid absolutely must stay home to avoid infecting other people with the virus.

"This is not a time for any of us to take risks with our own or other people’s health.”

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council said:

“Brighton & Hove is a united and caring city. We come together in times of crisis as well as celebration. Our residents, local businesses and partners have all done so much already to protect our community throughout this pandemic and we thank you all.

“The city is in constant dialogue with all the government, health agencies and partners to make sure we do the right thing at the right time for everyone in our city. Difficult decisions need to be made to protect jobs and businesses as well as keeping our residents safe and healthy.

“The council and its partners have the right team of experienced, committed and caring people in place to steer us through this. We all need to play our part to stop the disease, protect people's health & lives .

"Wear your face covering at all times when out & about. Limit how many people you see. Maintain social distancing. Keep to the rule of six.”