Norfolk residents urged to be "responsible" over first weekend since Covid restrictions eased
It's the first weekend since freedoms like eating and drinking indoors returned
The Norfolk Resilience Forum is encouraging people to be "responsible" over the first weekend since more restrictions eased.
Monday (17 May) saw Stage 3 of the Government's roadmap out of lockdown commence with the full return of pubs, restaurants and other indoor venues.
Under the eased restrictions, a maximum of six people or two households can gather inside and no more than 30 can get together outdoors.
The county's Resilience Forum, made up of council, health and police leaders, is asking people to enjoy the new freedoms but to remain cautious and responsible.
Louise Smith, Director of Public Health for Norfolk, said:
"We’ve been living with lockdown restrictions for some time, and I know many people will want to go out and celebrate their easing, but it is vital we all do so carefully. If we want to see more restrictions lifted we have to keep the spread of the virus low, and that means being cautious, being responsible and respecting social distancing."
Temporary Assistance Chief Constable of Norfolk Police, Julie Wvendth, said:
"We expect people to take full advantage of this next step in easing restrictions and would simply ask people to enjoy themselves but to do so safely and sensibly, following the instructions of staff at any premises. We have additional officers on duty across the weekend who will be able to respond and deal with any issues which might arise."
The case rate in Norfolk is 13.3 per 100,000 in as of the week ending 14 May, down from 18.4 the previous week.