Covid-19: 'Pandemic is not over', public health boss warns

Jim McManus said rising cases in Hertfordshire were a reminder that Covid-19 has "not gone away"

A county's director of public health has urged people to "remain cautious" and to wear a mask in busy areas as Covid cases rise.

Latest figures show Hertfordshire has seen a 62% rise in case rates, with cases in St Albans up by 82%.

Case rates in the over-60s age group have also risen by 54.5%.

Executive director of public health, Jim McManus, said the growth was an "important reminder" that Covid-19 has "not gone away".

In the seven days up to 11 March, Hertfordshire saw 696.8 cases per 100,000 of the population compared to 429.5 the previous week.

The rate in the over-60s age group was 557.9 cases per 100,000 - compared to 361.1 the week before.

The council said it believed the rise was "likely due" to waning immunity from vaccinations and the very infectious nature of the Omicron variant.

Many people in this age group will have received their booster jab more than 25 weeks ago, a spokesman said.

Latest figures up to 12 March show St Albans recorded the highest number of cases in the county at 1,290, representing a rate of 863.9 per 100,000 of the population, up from 475.4 in the previous seven days.

Broxbourne had 572 cases - a rise of 77% - and cases in Stevenage had risen by 70% to 683.

North Herts had the highest case rate of 919.3 per 100,000 with 1,227 cases - and Hertsmere had the lowest rise week on week of 46%, but still recorded 747 cases.

Jim McManus has urged people to wear face masks in busy places even though the compulsory wearing of face masks in public spaces was removed last month in England

In the week up to 6 March, Watford Hospital saw 56 hospital admissions for Covid - compared to 52 the week before - and the East and North Herts Hospitals Trust, which includes Stevenage's Lister Hospital saw 39 admissions, up from 31.

Mr McManus said: "The rising case rates over recent weeks are an important reminder that, although legal restrictions have ended, Covid-19 has not gone away.

"Cases and hospital admissions are rising across the country and that rise has also started in Herts.

"I'd urge people to remain cautious for now, and ask everyone to continue to play their part by managing their own risk of passing on the virus.

"This means continuing to wear a face covering in busy places, washing your hands regularly, limiting your time somewhere if it is crowded and staying home if you are sick."

Watford General Hospital had 59 Covid-19 patients on 8 March with four on ventilators

He added that employers could help by promoting ventilation, facilitating outdoor or well-spaced working areas, encouraging the use of face coverings and supporting sick staff to stay at home.

Mr McManus said people should also "offer our kindness, patience and support to those people who are clinically extremely vulnerable" and who remain cautious about returning to "normality".

"The pandemic has not ended, so as we move to this new phase of living safely with Covid-19, let's keep looking out for one another and recognise that we're all going to be moving forward at our own pace," he said.

Dr Rachel Joyce from the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Systems (ICS), said: "We encourage people in our community to get their lifesaving Covid-19 vaccines, including boosters, practise good hand hygiene and to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have any of the main symptoms of Covid-19 or have tested positive.

"All this helps reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 on to others."