The Government has announced the end of the Covid-19 national restrictions from Monday 19th July – please see here. But with cases now rising again, the message from Somerset County Council’s public health team is ‘Think twice, do the right thing, and don’t let your guard down‘:

‘From Monday, most legal restrictions relating to Covid-19 will be lifted, but the risks of Covid-19 have not gone away. As cases rise here and across the country, please be cautious, not only for yourselves, but to protect our vulnerable residents and frontline workers. Somerset County Council’s Public Health team is advising people to think carefully about continuing to keep the all-important two metre distance where possible – the UK’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) estimates that the risk of transmitting Covid-19 at 1 metre could be up to ten times higher than at 2 metres – see here. As another measure to protect more vulnerable members of our local communities, as well as workers in key services such as shops and pubs, it is recommended to continue to wear a face covering in indoor spaces such as in shops, on public transport or in healthcare settings. Please also continue to wash hands thoroughly and regularly. Meet up outside rather than inside, and, if inside, make sure to let the fresh air in by opening windows and doors. Finally, it’s important to: make sure to get both doses of the vaccine, self-isolate when required to do so; and use rapid tests twice a week.’ Please see here for more information.

Get vaccinated:

Vaccinations against Covid-19 are now available for everyone aged 18 and above – please see here. If you are aged 18 over and haven’t yet booked your Covid jab, people can come along to one of Somerset’s walk-in clinics – there’s no need to book, you can just turn up. Vaccinations are taking place across a range of sites, with both Oxford AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines on offer. People who had their first dose of vaccine eight weeks ago can also use the walk-in clinics to get their second jab. Check the information here, including at Mendip District Council’s offices in Shepton Mallet, and the Bath & West Showground.

Support available:

If you have Covid or are showing symptoms, self-isolating is one of the most important things you can do to help stop the spread. But you don’t need to feel alone – there is local support available – call the Somerset helpline 0300 790 6275, 7 days a week, 8am-6pm.

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