Covid-19 cases are ‘likely to rise’ after Christmas as people are allowed to mix with different households, the Isle of Wight’s public health director has warned.
Speaking at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s local outbreak engagement board, Simon Bryant, said while the number of new Covid-19 cases on the Island is slowing down, it is likely that could rise again after the festive period.
Christmas Bubbles
As part of the Christmas celebrations, the government will ease restrictions between 23rd and 27th December to allow three households to mix indoors as a bubble and should remain in that bubble, without introducing more households.
This means the hands, face, space and now ventilate measures do not apply and households can have a seemingly normal Christmas.
Hands face, space and ventilate with Rule of Six
However, public officials have said that if you do not form a bubble, the rule of six and infection control measures of Tier One on the Island will be enforced.
Mr Bryant also stressed how important it was to stick to the prevention measures to minimise the potential increase on the other side of the holiday period.
Stewart: “Do what you should rather than what you could”
Cllr Dave Stewart, leader of the Isle of Wight Council, said,
“Even though you could do lots of things within the bubble, I like the phrase ‘do what you should rather than what you could’ because the more you can do to do little things like keeping the windows open, make sure to wash things down, will help keep our infection levels down so we stay in that Tier One after Christmas as well and then we can comfortably look forward to the vaccine coming in and taking place.”
Bryant: Infection spreads in groups
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Bryant said,
“We know when people connect together in groups that is how the infection spreads. We also need to be mindful that Christmas is an important time of year for people to connect together and we need that balance.
“In terms of spreading infection … think about how you manage that and how you protect the loved ones you are meeting with, bearing in mind there is still infections circulating in the community.
“Certainly in the bubbles, they can be in any tier, if you are meeting anyone from a higher tier there is more likely to be a spread.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Greyson Joralemon under CC BY 2.0
