Plea to get jab in Ramadan COUNCIL URGES ALL OBSERVING COMMUNITIES NOT TO DELAY GETTING THEIR VACCINATION

MUSLIMS are being urged to not delay in getting the coronavirus vaccination as they observe the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan began last week and is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

Now Staffordshire County Council is urging all observing communities not to delay in getting their coronavirus vaccine, insisting it does not break Ramadan rules.

All people over 45 in England can now book a Covid jab and the council is keen to repeat guidance that having the vaccination does not invalidate the fast and Muslim communities should not delay in booking if eligible.

People now do not need to wait to be contacted by the NHS to book their vaccination slot.

The council is also encouraging people who may be hesitant in taking up the vaccine to make sure they check the source of vaccine information and to discuss any concerns they have with their local Imam.

Dr Richard Harling, the council’s director of health and care said: “Having the Covid vaccine is the best way for all communities to protect themselves from the deadly virus and it’s been widely accepted that getting it does not invalidate fasting.

“While people may understandably have questions about the vaccine, we need to remember there has been lots of false information circulating, especially on social media sites.

“Many of these claims have been independently debunked and we advise people if they see information about vaccines to always check the facts and question the source material.

“Both the Muslim Council of Britain

and the British Islamic Medical Association have produced a wealth of valuable information to ensure that worshippers across Staffordshire can make the right decision over the vaccine.”

Detailed guidance and advice from The Muslim Council of Britain on observing Ramadan safely this year can be found at https://mcb. org.uk/resources/ramadan and people can visit https://britishima. org/covid for similar information supplied by the British Islamic Medical Association.

All eligible people should book their vaccine by visiting the NHS Book a Coronavirus Vaccination website.

People who have their first or second vaccine doses should still follow the coronavirus rules in place and get tested twice a week.

Coronavirus figures for this weekend show that a total of 9,596 people in East Staffordshire have now had confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic – a rise of just three in 24-hours up until Sunday at 4pm.

There have been no new deaths announced in the borough, so the total stands at 417 since the pandemic began. The population of the borough is around 119,754.

In Staffordshire, 59,515 people have tested positive in the county as a whole since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 2,335 deaths have been recorded in Staffordshire. All cases were within 28 days of people testing positive for the virus.

In South Derbyshire, there have been three new cases, with the total since the start of the pandemic now standing at 7,299.

There have been no new deaths in South Derbyshire in the latest 24 hours, with the total number now at 227. The district’s population is around 107,261.

In Derbyshire as a whole, there have been 48,852 cases, which includes the South Derbyshire cases.

Across the county, where the population is around 802,694, 1,860 people have died from the virus since February, last year.

In North West Leicestershire, there have now been 6,061 cases since the start of the pandemic, with no new cases in the latest 24 hours.

There have been no deaths recorded in the district for the last 24 hours, with the total standing at 218.

A total of 44,375 cases have been recorded in Leicestershire as a whole during the pandemic. The population is around 706,155.

In total, 1,351 have now died within 28 days of testing positive.