Plea to Wiltshire parents to limit playdates and sleepovers during half term

Kate Blackburn, who was appointed to the post recently, has sent a letter to parents and carers across the county.

She acknowledges the 'difficult year' for school communities but says continued support is needed to "help keep the virus rate as low as possible."

With the half term break underway Kate is asking parents to take sensible steps.

"While in normal circumstances the half-term break would be a time for your children to enjoy playdates and sleepovers, we’d encourage you to limit these as much as possible, as this will help reduce the likelihood of more cases emerging."

NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY OVER CORONAVIRUS

Kate Blackburn also says it's vital we do our bit to keep Covid-19 cases down in the county.

"While the number of people who have COVID-19 in Wiltshire is comparatively lower than other parts of the country, our rates are unfortunately rising, so we can’t allow ourselves to get complacent."

Latest figures show in the 7 days to the 17th October there were 333 cases-- that's 64 more than the previous week.

The rate of new cases now stands at 66.6 per 100,000 people which remains below the average

A total of 2,439 have tested postive for Coronavirus in Wiltshire since the start of the pandemic

KEEP FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES

Health bosses in Wiltshire say the easier way to prevent getting Covid -19 is to keep following the guidance and doing your bit.

Wash hands – keep washing hands regularly

Wear face coverings in enclosed spaces

Make space – stay at least 2 meters apart or 1 metre with a face covering or other precautions

Follow the Rule of Six

There's also a reminder to only get a test if you have Covid symptoms or have been asked to get teste.

You can book at test at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test