‘If you are waiting for test results, it is vital you self-isolate until you get them’
After more Covid-19 deaths and rising infection rates, health chiefs have now hit out at those who continue to visit friends and family, and play group sports, while waiting to find out if their virus tests results are positive
HEALTH chiefs have issued a warning about how important it is for people to self-isolate as they wait for the results of coronavirus tests.
Stoke-on-trent’s top medical boss is urging residents to make sure they remain at home with the rest of their household if they suspect they may have Covid-19.
The plea from Dr Paul Edmondson Jones comes amid reports some people are potentially spreading the disease by visiting pubs and restaurants or playing sport.
It comes as two more deaths with coronavirus were confirmed in Stoke-on-trent yesterday.
Statistics from the Office for National Statistics show 206 people from the city have now had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificates as of October 2.
A total of 146 people from Newcastle-under-lyme Borough have now died with the virus - while in the Staffordshire Moorlands the figure stayed at 80. In other surrounding areas another death was confirmed in Stafford Borough for the first time since July - bringing the number there to 121.
Two more deaths were also confirmed in Cheshire East, with the total there now standing at 565.
Mr Edmondson Jones, director of adult social care, health integration and wellbeing, said: “We would like to thank those residents who have self-isolated while they awaited test results. Unfortunately, we’ve heard reports that not everyone has done this. Some people have ignored the requirement to self-isolate while waiting for results.
“Please remember if you are waiting for test results, it is vitally important you and anybody you live with self-isolate until you get your results.
“This means not doing things such as visiting friends or family, playing group sports, going to the shop or going to the pub. Please do the right thing to protect your loved ones.”
And the head of Staffordshire Police has urged residents and businesses in the county to continue to abide by the regulations that have been put in place to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said police would take enforcement action and fine those who don’t abide by the coronavirus legislation. Police patrols may also be stepped up in the areas where it is believed people are not complying with the rules.
He said: “We know the majority of people in Staffordshire are doing their best to follow the regulations in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19, for which we would like to thank local communities. Our approach throughout has been to support the public in following the regulations by engaging, explaining and encouraging, and enforcing with a fine as last resort. That will continue, but where people are knowingly breaching the regulations, we will not hesitate to take stricter enforcement action and issue a fine.”
He added: “Although Staffordshire remains in the medium tier, which means no further restrictions will come into place at this time, other areas in the wider region are seeing much tighter restrictions and this should be seen as a warning of what could happen here if the rules are not closely followed and people become complacent. As a police service, we recognise that the past few months have been challenging for people and will continue to be as winter approaches.
“However, the stakes have never been higher and if people are caught flouting the rules and breaking the law we will act quickly to use enforcement to protect people.”
Police patrols will be stepped up across areas where people are not adhering to restrictions and fines will be issued if people ignore the rules.”
Since the start of the year 2,059 people from Stoke-on-trent have died of all causes – meaning Covid-19 has been mentioned on 10 per cent of all death certificates issued for residents of the city so far in 2020. The coronavirus has been mentioned on 13.35 per cent of death certificates in Newcastleunder-lyme Borough (146 out of 1093) and on nine per cent of death certificates in the Moorlands (80 out of 887). It has also appeared on 10.79 per cent of death certificates in Stafford Borough (121 out of 1,121) and 16.69 per cent in Cheshire East (565 out of 3,385).
The number of deaths involving Covid-19 registered in England and Wales has risen for the fourth week in a row. A total of 321 deaths registered in the week ending October 2 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate. It is the highest number of registered deaths involving Covid-19 since July 10. Just over 58,500 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.