City health bosses have issued an update on how Liverpool is dealing with Covid-19.
Professor Matt Ashton, Liverpool director of public health, warned that despite an end to coronavirus restrictions across the UK, “the pandemic hasn’t finished yet” and infection rates across the city remained high. Prof Ashton was speaking during a meeting of the Liverpool Health and Wellbeing Board at Liverpool Town Hall.
Among the items discussed by members was the annual public health report, which detailed how more than 12,500 cases of “the unpredictable virus” were reported by schools across the city last year. According to the latest data from Public Health England, there were 13,546 infections in the week ending March 24 in the Liverpool City Region - 1,598 more positive tests than the previous week, an increase of 13%.
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Prof Ashton paid tribute to the effort of people across the city as Liverpool continues its fight against coronavirus. He said: “On behalf of Cllr (Frazer, cabinet member for adults’ and children’s social care) Lake and myself, a big thank you to everyone for their support for the city’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Obviously the pandemic hasn’t finished yet, in fact our rates in Liverpool are still quite high, over 720 per 100,000, but we are moving into that new phase of pandemic management so living with, hopefully safely and fairly with covid.” Prof Ashton added that the city’s response had been “remarkable” owing to “partners working very closely, hand in hand together and with their communities to try and keep people as safe as possible during a very difficult period.”
Tony Reeves, Liverpool Council chief executive, said “the last couple of years has probably been like no other thing in public health.” He said: “The report sets out a chunk of that journey but I just want to put on record the unbelievable amount of work that has been done behind the scenes that has enabled the economy to open up because of the public health advice and a whole range of other things.
“Huge support from our university staff, from the NHS etc, there’s been heroic leadership right across the city and of course in our voluntary sector and communities as well. There’s been a pivotal role public health have played and for a small team, the resilience they’ve shown and the focus on that, I think is something that is worthy of note.”
“Certainly as chief executive of the council, I want to put on record my thanks and my pride in how the team have really responded to the most unbelievable challenge.”
Anyone who has a cough or cold is being asked to avoid contact with others from April 1 according to new guidance. Free testing for the general public ends on Friday as part of the Living with Covid plan, which last month set out the government’s strategy to live with and manage the virus.
