Covid-19 threat to be discussed at public meeting in Reading
People are being urged to attend a virtual meeting, so they can find out more about the town’s outbreak control plan and the latest data on the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths.
The first meeting of Reading Borough Council’s Covid-19 Outbreak Engagement Board will be held at 2pm on Friday, September 4.
The board will also take questions from the public and discuss the impact the virus has had on black, Asian and ethnic minority groups.
Councillor Graeme Hoskin, Reading’s lead member for health, said: “The lockdown has eased but is not over – and we all have a part to play to reduce the risk of a local outbreak.
“Keeping our residents safe is vital to us.
“We are all working to help prevent the spread of the virus and manage any local outbreaks.
“We want to work closely with our partners and with local residents to support effective local action and to keep everyone informed.
“The Outbreak Engagement Board will form an important part of our overall strategy to keep Reading safe.”
So far, 863 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Reading and the town has an overall infection rate of 533.4 cases per 100,000 people.
Office for National Statistic figures show 166 Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in Reading during the pandemic.
Last week, Cllr Jason Brock, leader of Reading Borough Council, said “there is no cause for alarm” in Reading after a spike in Covid-19 cases led to Slough being named as “an area of concern”.
In an open letter, he wrote: “I want to reassure everyone that Reading’s numbers are currently considerably lower than areas in England which have been a focus of national attention and local circumstances are considerably different to Slough.
“There is no cause for alarm, although it is a good reminder to us all that we should not become complacent.”
Slough has recorded fewer confirmed cases (759) of the virus during the pandemic and fewer Covid-19 deaths (111) than Reading.
But Slough was deemed to be “an area of concern” by Public Health England after a worrying spike – it recorded 58 new cases in the two weeks leading up to August 18.
Anyone who wants to watch Friday’s virtual meeting must sign up to receive a Microsoft Teams link, by sending an email to nicky.simpson@reading.gov.uk