Coronavirus: ‘We need everyone to play their part to keep West Sussex safe’

‘This year feels completely different for many of us. For those children finishing school, there are some who have not been able to go back to say goodbye to their teachers and friends, for others the school experience has been quite unlike anything lived through before.

‘For others in our county, the sacrifices have been far greater. People have lost loved ones, gone without a chance to say goodbye, become ill, lost jobs, been separated from family or those they rely on most.

‘In my role as Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Health, I am focussed on making sure that our older people and vulnerable residents are getting the help and support they need for their health and wellbeing.

‘I am conscious that loneliness affects many of our residents and now, in the midst of this pandemic, it must be even harder for everyone.

‘There is no doubt that COVID-19 has caused heartache and difficulties for many people. It continues to be testing 16 weeks into the lockdown scenario to carry on remaining vigilant, taking all the necessary steps to stay safe as well as keeping others safe.

‘As we start to see businesses and leisure cautiously re-opening it is tempting to feel that we are back to some semblance of normality and to relax into old routines.

‘However, as we have seen elsewhere in the country, life is not back to normal. In order to really get on top of this virus we all need to continue to do our bit in order to keep safe our communities, towns and villages, as well as the whole county.

‘At West Sussex County Council we are continuing to focus on monitoring and managing the virus throughout the county, to make sure that we are aware of any peaks or spikes and to look in detail at how we manage to control that.

‘We are working hand in glove with health colleagues in the NHS, with our partners in district and borough councils and with the community sector to make sure we work together to fight COVID-19. Notwithstanding the work we and our partners are doing, we cannot do this without you or your support.

‘For us to keep our county safe, open for business and working well, we all need to take responsibility for how we act and how we live and work in West Sussex.

‘The messages are simple but that doesn’t make them any less important; always be aware of other people and maintain social distancing when out and about in our beautiful county, stay rigorous in your hygiene, wash your hands as much as possible, particularly when out and about, wear a face covering on public transport or when in places where it is difficult to stay apart from others and, if you develop symptoms, get a test and be clear about where you’ve been and who you have been in contact with.

‘These are uncertain and worrying times for us all but there are green shoots. I have been heartened by the community response to this national crisis, by acts of kindness large and small across the county; neighbours helping neighbours, people supporting each other and the tremendous efforts by all our key workers.

‘We are so privileged to live in West Sussex and fortunate that we have seen a relatively low infection rate. This is only because of all your hard work and that is why it is important that we continue to remain vigilant.

‘I know that together we can keep West Sussex safe and I thank every one of you for your part in that. Please stay safe and well.’

Anna Raleigh, Director of Public Health for West Sussex, adds: ‘Since lockdown began in March the community in West Sussex has done a really good job in containing the spread of COVID-19.

‘As we go into the summer months we all need to continue to play our part in keeping West Sussex safe. As restrictions ease, we might be tempted to feel more relaxed about the dangers the virus poses, but coronavirus is still with us, it can spread very easily and we need to continue to take measures to make sure it doesn’t take a hold.

‘This means we need to continue to follow the guidance that we are all familiar with. We need to keep a good distance from people not in our household - two metres if possible. Wash your hands regularly with soap. Wear a face covering on public transport, in hospitals and when you are in confined spaces where it’s not possible to keep a safe social distance.

‘When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve, and put used tissues in the bin immediately.

‘A really important part of keeping the virus at bay is to have an effective test and trace system. If you have symptoms (new cough, temperature, changes in your sense of smell or taste), please get tested.

‘This is really easy to arrange by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or by making a call to 119. Tests are free of charge. If you test positive for the virus, you should stay at home for seven days and all those in your household need to stay at home for 14 days. If you are told that you are a contact of a positive case and need to self-isolate at home it is essential that you do so.

‘I really appreciate how frustrating this might seem, especially as restrictions are being relaxed, but I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to do all we can to contain the virus.

‘We are keeping an extremely close eye on the number of cases in West Sussex. We have daily meetings to review the data and we recently published our outbreak plan which sets out what we would do if we saw a significant increase in cases.

‘If there is an outbreak in West Sussex, we, as a local community, will need to work together and take action. This could involve taking additional cleaning and hygiene measures, but it could also involve the need to ask businesses, schools, and shops in the area affected, to close. The latter measure would only be taken if we thought residents were at risk.

‘Throughout the current outbreak we have worked very closely with the NHS, hospitals, the police, care centres, community groups and volunteers. We have an established network in West Sussex which means that if we need to act, we will do that together and effectively.

‘As things stand, there is no need for any additional restriction measures in West Sussex and I really hope it stays that way. Thank you for all that you are doing to keep West Sussex safe and let’s continue to keep our shops and businesses open by following the guidelines.

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How you can help

HAND WASHING

Wash your hands with soap and water more often than usual, for at least 20 seconds, using hand sanitiser if soap and water are not available. You should always wash your hands or use hand sanitiser after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, before you eat or handle food, and when you get to work or arrive home.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Keep two metres away from people or at least one metre when you can take other precautions such as wearing a face covering or not sitting face-to-face with someone. If you go out to enjoy the West Sussex countryside, open spaces or parks, observe good social distancing and please remember to take your litter home.

FACE COVERINGS

If you can, wear a face covering in enclosed public spaces where social distancing isn’t possible and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet. You must wear a face covering at all times on public transport, when attending a hospital as a visitor or outpatient, and from Friday 24 July, when in shops and supermarkets. Face coverings do not replace social distancing.

TEST & TRACE

If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested. Visit nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119. Tests are free of charge. Symptoms include a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in your sense of taste or smell.

If you develop these symptoms, however mild, or you have received a positive COVID-19 test result, then you should immediately self-isolate by staying at home for at least seven days from when your symptoms started. All other household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days.