Councillor Alan White, Leader of Staffordshire County Council

IF there is one thing you can do for your family, friends and loved ones this Christmas, get your Covid vaccination or booster jab.

Sadly, cases of Covid-19 and the new Omicron variant are rising rapidly in Staffordshire and the vaccine remains the best way to protect yourself and those around you. While thankfully we are not yet seeing as many people going into hospital with Covid-19, we do expect the numbers to rise in the coming weeks. We also know that the majority of people who are hospitalised, and who need intensive care, have not been vaccinated.

So please get your jab or booster as soon as possible. There are walk-in clinics across Staffordshire or you can visit the NHS website using the links at the bottom of this article. Anybody over the age of 18 can now book their booster jab two months after their second dose of the vaccine.

It has been a tough two years for everyone. I particularly feel for our local businesses that have done so much to support their communities and keep customers safe, and that were relying on the Christmas period to recover some of the losses they have faced.

The county council will continue to offer them support and advice, and to call on our residents to shop local and support businesses in your community in any way you can.

Our people make Staffordshire special. I could not be prouder of the way our residents, communities and organisations have come together throughout the pandemic. We need to keep it up to stop the spread of Covid-19, protect those around us, and avoid the need for any further restrictions to our way of life.

So work from home if you can, wear a face covering in public places or on public transport, and think carefully about who you socialise with and where.

Take a lateral flow test before you go out.

I know that some people will find the additional restrictions difficult, particularly given the time of year. But by following the new rules, along with the basics of washing our hands regularly, keeping our distance and good ventilation will help make sure our hospitals can cope and allow time for more people to get vaccinated.

I do hope people are able to enjoy Christmas and time with family and friends but again, we need to be sensible and take every precaution we can. The Omicron variant spreads much more easily than previous strains so we all need to take a common sense approach and think through the implications for ourselves and our loved ones.

I am hopeful that in 2022 we will be in a stronger position as we learn to live with this virus.

“For now, please have a peaceful Christmas and stay safe.”