Residents urged to remain cautious after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions

LOCAL residents are being urged to remain very cautious following the move to Step 4 and subsequent relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions from Monday 19 July, with rates remaining high in the town.

Alongside encouraging take up the COVID-19 vaccination, people in Warrington are being advised to continue as much as possible with the use of face coverings, social distancing, good hand hygiene and regular testing.

Members of the public are also being encouraged to continue wearing face coverings on public transport and in taxis.
Continuing already existing behaviours will decrease the likelihood of a dangerous and potentially vaccine-resistant mutation of the virus, protect unvaccinated children and lower the number of people who fall ill with COVID-19 and develop ‘long COVID’.
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, said: “We are all desperate to get back to normal, and despite the national announcement confirming our move to Step 4 from Monday 19 July, we cannot ignore the local picture – where our cases numbers are still rising and people are still in hospital due to the virus.
“We need to remain extra cautious, despite what I know will be the temptation to assume that the move to Step 4 will be a ‘green light’ to live our lives as if the virus is no longer with us. We also need to bear in mind that the steps we take to keep ourselves safe, such as keeping our distance and wearing a face covering – which I’d strongly recommend you do where necessary – will also help support those who may be nervous about being in busier public spaces or who may be at risk of becoming very unwell if they contract the virus. Warrington has shown immense resolve and resilience since the beginning of the pandemic. I ask you, once again, to keep doing your bit.”
There are a number of practical steps and behaviours residents can all take to make sure that the opportunities for coronavirus to continue spreading in Warrington are limited. As well as keeping our distance from other people, limiting the number of contacts we have with others and making sure we keep washing our hands or sanitising them regularly, the council is strongly advising people continue to wear face coverings where necessary.
Wearing face coverings is strongly encouraged in areas where social distancing cannot always be guaranteed, where good ventilation may not be possible or where there are multiple people in an enclosed venue. This includes, for example, wearing a face mask in supermarkets, health and social care settings, GP surgeries, and in other busy areas, such as indoor shopping centres, and when on public transport – including trains, buses, taxis and when sharing cars.
MD of Direct Taxis, David Hatton, and MD of ABBA Taxis, Phil Bailey, said: “We have worked hard throughout the pandemic to keep our passengers safe. Although wearing a face mask is a personal choice, we want to keep our drivers and passengers as protected as possible, so we hope that our customers continue to wear face coverings when using our taxis.”
MD at Warrington’s Own Buses, Ben Wakerley, said: “Our drivers have regularly been using symptom-free tests throughout the pandemic and have shown a great commitment to keeping their passengers and colleagues as safe as possible. Although our passengers do not legally have to wear face-covering on-board our buses, they may wish to continue to use them as an added layer of protection.”

Infection rates and hospital inpatient numbers continue to rise as 177 new COVID-19 cases confirmed