An important message from Alistair Hill, Director of Public Health for our city concerning COVID-19 cases
We have published a weekly local alert level and accompanying statement for Brighton & Hove since September. Our most recent alert level last week was Amber, to reflect the significant and ongoing increase in cases that we have seen in the city.
This week we are not updating our traffic light indicator while we await full details about the Government’s new national local COVID alert levels announced on 12 October 2020. The Government has classified Brighton & Hove as Medium, indicating that national restrictions continue to be in place. The other levels, high and very high, apply to areas where additional restrictions are in place.
The city is at a tipping point. We have a chance to stop this very infectious disease from spreading - but only if we all work together to slow it down.
We know most infections happen when people and households meet and mix with each other.
This is not a time to take risks with our own health, because that can spread the infection to everyone around us. Before going out to mix with other people, please ask yourself ‘do I really need to do this and what can I do to reduce my risk?’
I am asking everyone to follow the public health guidelines that we know stop Covid from spreading:
- Wash hands or use sanitiser and clean shared surfaces regularly
- Wear face coverings (if able to)
- Maintain social distancing of 2 metres
- Limit contact between households and keep to the rule of six
- Reduce contact with other people and meet outside if you can
- Work from home if possible
Most important of all:
- If you have symptoms you must self-isolate as soon as they start and ask your household to self-isolate too
- Book a test online and stay home while waiting for your appointment or home testing kit to arrive – do not let friends or family to visit you
- Remain at home until you get a negative test result or the quarantine period is over – do not leave the house for any reason
- If told you are a contact of someone with Covid, you must self-isolate for 14 days and apply for a test.
We are all responsible for stopping the virus from infecting more people in our city. Please play your part to keep us all safe."