Health chiefs at the county council are confident that the people of Staffordshire will do the right thing and demonstrate caution as the first easing of lockdown rules come into place on Monday.
After the weekend Staffordshire schools will open, with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed. Meeting up socially outdoors with one other person will be permitted and people in care homes will also be allowed one regular visitor.
Residents are being asked to remain cautious and not to be tempted to stretch the new rules that come into place as the risk in Staffordshire still remains high.
Cases continue to fall across the county but are still much higher than the England average.
Teachers, parents and secondary school children are being encouraged to get regularly tested for Covid alongside other people who need to be out and about, especially if they live in a hotspot area.
Dr Johnny McMahon Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said:
“With schools returning on Monday alongside other freedoms being introduced it is up to all of us to show good judgement, understand the risk to health is still significant and ultimately do the right thing and not mess this up.
“I am confident that Staffordshire people realise the precarious nature of the situation we are in and will do the right thing.
“We all need to follow the letter and the spirit of all the new rules that come into place, as this is what will lead us out of lockdown.”
The Covid-19 community testing centres and hotspot areas are as below:
Staffordshire residents are now able to walk in to one of our community testing sites to get a rapid Covid-19 test. Walk ins are subject to availability at each individual site – to secure a slot, booking on the community testing sites page is still recommended.
There will also be pop-up community testing sites at various locations supporting the above.
People with symptoms or those who have been asked to self-isolate as a close contact of a Covid case should not attend.
