Covid: York health boss urges move to 'Plan B'

Sharon Stoltz warned in July the NHS in York was under mounting pressure

York's health boss has said she is "hugely disappointed" the government is resisting calls for a "Plan B" Covid-19 strategy to be put into effect.

Sharon Stoltz, the city's director of public health, said many people had become complacent about the virus.

She said the government must not "wait until things are so bad we have to consider draconian measures again".

Ms Stoltz said she thought everyone should be wearing face coverings again, including in communal areas in schools.

In the seven days to 14 October, the Covid rate in York was almost 314 cases per 100,000 people, according to government figures - that is slightly below the England average.

However, the highest Covid rate in school children in the city was in the 10-14 age range, with a rate of 1,438 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to 14 October, which is about four times higher than for the population as a whole.

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Ms Stoltz told BBC Radio York: "I am working with schools and encouraging businesses to bring back some of the measures that served York really well previously."

Her comments come after schools in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, were urged by public health officials on Tuesday to reintroduce face masks after a jump in Covid cases there which was linked to young people.

She added that on a recent trip to York, "very, very few people" were wearing masks and she had noticed that hand sanitiser was less visible in some shops in the city.

Ms Stoltz also warned about vaccination complacency.

"Even if you're vaccinated, [it] will protect you as an individual from getting seriously ill from Covid, it won't stop you from passing the virus on", she said.

Ms Stoltz said hand sanitiser seemed less visible in some shops in York than previously

She added that she welcomed a government announcement on making Covid vaccines for children aged 12-15 accessible at vaccination centres.

Health leaders elsewhere have said the government should implement its "Plan B" back-up strategy soon in a bid to avoid "stumbling into a winter crisis".

However, the government said there was no need for further measures in England at the moment and urged greater uptake of booster jabs.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said it was not time for "Plan B" yet, and he did not want further lockdowns or to jeopardise the "hard-won gains" of reopening the economy.