A message for North Lincolnshire residents from the North Lincolnshire CCG Chairman/local GP and the North Lincolnshire Council Director of Public Health

 

As of July 1, 2020, there have been at least 10.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide and at least 500,000 deaths attributable to this most challenging disease.  Countries such as China and Japan which had slowly been returning to normal have been reporting new infection outbreaks.

As lockdown measures in the UK are slowly being eased, we need to be cautious and vigilant.  Leicester is an example of an area that has reported high numbers of infections and will be subject to specific measures to prevent the situation worsening.

So how do we ensure that North Lincolnshire infection rates do not rise and we tackle this virus robustly?  There are steps that we have to take:

 

–Social distancing (between people not in your household).  This should ideally be 2-metres.  If 2-metres is not possible, then 1 metre plus – this involves sitting side-by-side or back-to-back rather than face-to-face where possible, safely keeping windows or doors open to allow ventilation, and avoiding talking loudly or singing as this can amplify virus transmission

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/

 

–Strict hygiene including regular and rigorous handwashing (including the use of hand sanitiser where washing is not possible), sneezing/coughing into a tissue or the elbow fold, and regularly wiping down surfaces

 

– Wearing face coverings or masks whilst using public transport or in enclosed spaces, including in hospitals

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering

 

 

– Isolating, along with the household, if anyone has any symptoms of coronavirus (a temperature, persistent cough or a change in/loss of smell or taste) and ordering a test online or by calling 119

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/get-an-antigen-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/

 

–Eating well, exercising regularly and ensuring mental wellbeing, these can also help boost our immunity

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/

https://www.northlincs.gov.uk/five-ways-to-wellbeing/

 

–Seeking medical attention, including mental health advice whenever it is needed – your local NHS services including NHS 111, your GP, 999 and the Hospital A & E department are here for you

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care/nhs-111/

 

For North Lincolnshire to overcomes this virus  – each and every one of us has to play our part.

 

Thank you.

 

Dr Faisel Baig and Penny Spring