Atherstone issued with keep-it-simple guide amid 'confusion' over mixed messages on easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions

THREE ENDURING STEPS TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES IN NEW AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

'PEOPLE NEED TO BE CLEAR THIS PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER AND WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER'

ATHERSTONE is being urged to play its part in protecting townsfolk from a pandemic that is "far from over".

The plea comes at the launch of a new "keep it simple" awareness campaign by council bosses who admit Government guidance on the easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions has left some of the public confused.

Now people in the borough are being asked to "act as ambassadors" and adopt three straightforward messages to continue recognising the potency of the virus as wearing face coverings in shops becomes mandatory in England today.

'Let's do the Right Thing' aims to ensure everyone in North Warwickshire is very clear in how to keep individuals and communities safe from coronavirus.

The three steps are:

- Wearing a face covering;

- Getting a test and self-isolating if symptoms present themselves; and

- Keep the concept of social distancing going. The Warwickshire County Council scheme, run in conjunction with the borough council has reacted to feedback which has shown people are "not always clear" that they understand Covid-19 has not gone away. Key to the campaign is everybody needs to play their part and do the right thing for themselves, their friends and family, neighbours and their communities, says the county council. Crucial messages remain around regular washing and sanitising of hands, keeping a safe social distance of at least two metres wherever possible and taking mitigating actions such as wearing a face covering where that cannot be done. The scheme is being promoted as a time when North Warwickshire and neighbouring Bedworth and Nuneaton both find themselves in the top 50 of a Public Health England league table of new cases of deadly Covid-19. North Warwickshire sits just belowe its bordering authority in 50th spot in the updated rolling seven-day rate for every borough and district council in England. Talking about the campaign, county council leader Izzi Seccombe said: "As lockdown measures have been eased, there has been some confusion as to what the guidance is. "Our intelligence shows that people's reactions to the continued relaxation of measures are very different. "Some are very much back to business as usual hanging out with their friends, spending time with their family, going off to the pub and some are still very cautious. "But we need people to be clear that the pandemic is not over and as a community we all continue to have a role to play to protect each other. "We can start to resume many aspects of our normal lives, but we need to do be cautious and do things slightly differently to how we used to do them, while the virus is still present and continues to pose a risk. "Let's Do the Right Thing' aims to instill a community spirit to control the virus together. "It's not just about individuals keeping themselves safe but also making sure that, by taking action to stop the spread, that we keep communities safe. "So not only do people need to take steps to keep vulnerable family members safe, but also ensure that they don't spread the virus to people they don't know who may also be at risk." The county councillor added: "So let's do the right thing by wearing a face covering when going shopping or on public transport, continuing to wash your hands regularly and stay a safe distance away from people that are not in your bubble. "And if you have symptoms, self-isolate immediately and book a test. "They are relatively simple steps, but critical to ensure that we stop the spread of the virus and save lives." Local and county councils have asked to hear from community and faith leaders, community bloggers, youth groups or anyone who works within their community who could help to share the campaign material.