A drop in new Covid cases but city’s numbers remain high

In the seven days up to August 27 new cases dropped by 23 per cent to 908, which is close to the national rate but higher than the regional rate for the south east.

Alistair Hill, Director of Public Health with Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “This is welcome news however the number of cases remains high and with many of us coming back from holidays and festivals, and more returning to education and workplace settings, this could lead to more cases in the coming weeks.”

“It does mean that regular testing and all the hygiene habits we learned throughout the pandemic remain so important. Regular hand washing, good ventilation, wearing face coverings when required, and making space for each other helped reduce infection during the lockdowns and still serve us well.

“The number of patients needing treatment for the effects of COVID-19 in our local hospital remains similar to last week and is lower than the level seen last winter. This shows that the vaccination programme is highly effective in reducing the risk of serious illness and hospital admission. It highlights that everyone should take up the vaccine as soon as they are offered it.

“If you’ve fallen out of the habit of testing at home over the summer, now’s the time to get back into the routine of testing twice every week. And of course, at the first sign of any Covid symptoms you must stay home, book a PCR test and self-isolate while you wait for the result to make sure.

“I also want to remind anyone who works or volunteers in a care home of the government’s requirement for you to be fully vaccinated by 11 November. This includes people who provide non-care services inside the home such as maintenance and hairdressing. Because of the eight-week gap between doses, the first vaccination will need to be done by 16 September to be sure to be fully vaccinated by 11 November. If this applies to you and you haven’t already had your first jab yet, please get it as soon you can.”