Wigan residents urged to do their bit to help prevent spread of coronavirus as omicron cases soar

Prof Kate Ardern, along with the directors of public health for the area's nine other local authorities, decided to speak out as the Government stepped up its efforts to roll out the Covid-19 vaccination and booster jab.

In a joint statement, they said: "The rapid rise of the omicron variant is the starkest of reminders that Covid’s still here."

They said there is still a lot to learn about omicron, how seriously it can affect those who contract it and the number of people already infected.

They said: "We now know it spreads far more easily than other forms of the virus, particularly within households and among friends, family and other close contacts. Over the past week,

we have seen the number of probable new daily cases here rise from 76 last Monday to 416 by Friday. That is to say, they are doubling about every two days. We anticipate that omicron will become the dominant form of the virus in Greater Manchester within days.

"And these figures are unlikely to show the true extent to which the variant is actually spreading; the UK Health Security Agency’s chief medical advisor has suggested identified numbers of cases may be only 10 per cent of the actual total."

The public health chiefs fear the impact the spread of omicron will have on the NHS as cases continue to grow.

They said: "The number of positive Covid test results each day is rising to almost as high as it has been at any stage of the pandemic, and is expected to continue to grow rapidly. Even if a relatively small proportion of these require urgent and critical care, many of our friends and families would be personally affected and the numbers involved could well overwhelm our NHS and public services as we approach the time of winter in which our needs for their support are always highest. Keeping down the number of cases will be key to managing these

risks, no matter how harmful this variant of the virus turns out to be."

As research showed a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine can boost protection against omicron, they have joined forces to encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that everyone over the age of 18 would be offered a booster jab by the end of the year, in a bid to help prevent the spread of omicron.

Appointments were made available for over 30s from Monday and all over 18s can book from tomorrow, providing they had the second vaccination at least three months ago.

But Prof Ardern and her colleagues warned the vaccine is just one measure to limit the impact of the virus and they "cannot protect everyone overnight".

Instead, they urged people to take other measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The statement continued: "So to provide the time we need ourselves, for our friends and families, and for the NHS and our public services, it is now as important as it has ever been that we all do our bit to stay safe and stop the virus. This means we all need to keep on doing the small actions that make such a big difference, such as wearing face coverings when visiting busy indoor places and on public transport, letting fresh air indoors and regularly washing our hands.

"It means continuing to take rapid tests twice a week, and particularly before going to work if you can’t work from home, going to places where you are likely to encounter people you don’t often meet, or visiting groups of friends or family members. It means staying at home and getting a PCR test immediately if we are unwell. It means self-isolating immediately and for the full amount of time when required. And it means making choices about how many people we meet up with over the coming weeks – as the more people we all see, the more chances the virus has to spread.

"We know for many people many of these actions won’t be easy, especially after prolonged periods of restrictions to our lives and with planned festive celebrations around the corner. That’s why we’ve made support for our residents a central part of our coronavirus response – whether that’s the additional practical and financial help if you need to self-isolate, or assistance and tools to boost your wellbeing as we continue to live alongside the virus and its impacts. You can access this support through your local council or at CovidsStillHere.org/#SafeAndWell

"We have said throughout the pandemic that the way we will overcome the virus is together. This starts with what we each do ourselves. It can be tempting to look around and find examples of people who don’t appear to be doing the right thing and lose your own motivation to carry on. We’re asking all of our residents to put these feelings to one side and think about their actions not just as individuals but as citizens. The combined impact of the actions we all take personally will be essential to overcome the significant threat the omicron variant has sent our way."

To book an appointment for a jab in Wigan, call 01942 807780.

Alternatively, access the national booking system hereThanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here