Wakefield people urged to 'act responsibly' over the Bank Holiday weekend as Covid-19 cases increase across the district

The three day break from Saturday, August 29 to Monday, August 31 is traditionally a time when many people get together with friends and family to enjoy the remaining days of summer.

But with a rise in cases, the council is urging people to stay alert and follow Government advice if visiting shops, restaurants and other places.

Wakefield is still classed as an 'area of concern' with figures for the latest set of weekly data showing that the number of people testing positive for the virus increased from the previous week – from 18 to 20.6 positive cases (per 100,000 population).

Residents are reminded to:

*Wear a face covering in any enclosed public space, if they are able to.

*Follow social distancing rules – stay two metres apart.

*If people have underlying health issues or are aged 70+, avoid areas where they can’t adhere to two metres social distancing

*Avoid any hugging or close contact with anyone outside their household

*Avoid car sharing with anyone outside of their household, if you can

*Maintain regular handwashing

Coun Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said: “I wish everyone an enjoyable bank holiday weekend. However it is important that during this time, when many of us can look forward to taking a break, that we all act responsibly and continue to follow the latest Government guidance for the benefit of everyone.

“Cases have risen in the district, which is why it is so important that we don’t get complacent as we get used to living with the virus. It’s more important than ever that we all do our bit to stop the spread of the virus.”

The main symptoms of coronavirus include loss or change to the sense of taste or smell a high temperature, a new, continuous cough. If people have symptoms and have not had a test, they are advised to stay at home and get a test to check if you have coronavirus as soon as possible.

Anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms is urged to get a test by accessing local testing or by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119.

Wakefield’s local testing service is available from Monday to Friday and bookings for appointments can be made at www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 01924 224497.

Or email the person’s name and contact details to [email protected] so the booking team can get in touch.

How long people need to self-isolate depends on if they have coronavirus (COVID-19) or if they’ve been in close contact with someone who has. For full details visit https://bit.ly/3aUQgB5People planning to meet others are reminded the Government guidance is that they can should only meet people they do not live with, in three types of groups:

They can continue to meet in any outdoor space in a group of up to six people from different households

Single adult households – of adults who live alone or with dependent children only – can continue to form an exclusive ‘support bubble’ with one other household

People can also meet in a group of two households (anyone in your support bubble counts as one household), in any location ‒ public or private, indoors or outdoors. This does not need to be the same household each time.