RESIDENTS in Cornwall are being urged to meet relatives for a walk or get together remotely on Christmas Day rather than mixing indoors as cases of the coronavirus rise in the county.
While Cornwall remains in Tier One, cases have risen from 18 per 100,000 to 33 in the last week, said the director for Public Health.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Covid restrictions: much some parts of the country will move from Tier Three into Tier Four, resembling a full lockdown. For everywhere else in England, the guidelines that three households can mix over a five-day period has been reduced to just one day, Christmas Day itself.
Doctors who are part of the British Medical Association have welcomed the decision to tighten the Christmas relaxation rules, and many see the new restrictions as a necessary step, says the BMA.
A survey carried out amongst 8,000 doctors and medical students in the last week shows that there is concern amongst the profession about the health service’s ability to cope over the coming weeks.
Doctors have implored the public to take steps to avoid the spread of Covid-19, including mixing with as few people as possible this Christmas, wearing face masks, and avoiding visiting friends and relatives who are vulnerable due to a health condition.
BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “Yesterday’s announcement, while hugely disappointing to the millions of people now having to cancel Christmas plans, affirms that the tightening of the restrictions is absolutely the right decision and one which will save lives.
“This survey reveals a profession fearful not just for the patients we have now, but for those we will soon have to treat in the new year as a result of a rise in infections caused in part by the new strain but also by increased socialising during Christmas.
“Whether it’s Covid or cancer, we are extremely worried that there may not be the capacity in our health service to provide care for everyone who needs it if the infection rates continue to soar.”
People across Cornwall are being urged to keep their guard up, as cases of Covid-19 have risen since the end of the last lockdown.
Members of the multi-agency Local Outbreak Engagement Board, led by Cornwall Council, heard that the current rate of infection is around 33 per 100,000, up from 18 just a week ago.
This puts Cornwall on a par with many other areas of the UK in terms of the increase in rate of transmission.
The Council, NHS Kernow and Visit Cornwall are now urging residents to stick closely to the public health guidance and think carefully about their Christmas and new year plans.
Cllr Julian German, Leader of Cornwall Council, said: “Residents need to think long and hard about their Christmas and new year plans – is it worth risking the health of so many people for a one-off get-together?”
Rachel Wigglesworth, Director of Public Health for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “We know it is incredibly easy to catch and spread coronavirus. You can spread it to others even if you and the people you meet have no symptoms.
“With this in mind, we are asking people to consider these risks carefully before agreeing to form a Christmas bubble. You could always celebrate Christmas in other ways, by using technology or meeting outdoors for a walk, without bringing households together or travelling between different parts of the country.”