With Covid-19 cases on the rise again, Liverpool’s Health Protection Board (HPB) is sharing the latest advice for those living, working and visiting Liverpool – as the sharp increase has the potential to disrupt essential services and affect peoples’ summer holiday plans.
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again, across the whole of the country, including in Liverpool. The latest figures show that infections have risen by one third in the last week, and are now at over 200/100,000, the highest since April 2022. Anecdotally, many people who have escaped infection to date are now getting infected for the first time.
In addition, 1 in 5 people who get infected have previously had the infection.
The number of people hospitalised with Covid is also increasing again. There are almost 200 people in hospital in Liverpool with Covid infection, and we are seeing a small number of outbreaks in health and social care settings.
This latest surge is predominantly due to the new variants BA.4 and BA.5. These latest variants have arisen from the Omicron variant and demonstrates the ability of the virus to keep on changing.
Fortunately, our Covid vaccines remain highly effective in protecting people from serious illness due to these latest variants. However, infection from these variants can still make people feel very unwell and bedridden for several days.
How to protect yourself and others
- The best thing we can all do to protect ourselves is to make sure we are up to date with Covid vaccinations and boosters. It is never too late to get vaccinated.
You can still book an appointment online or by calling 119. Alternatively, you can attend a drop-in clinic – where no appointment is needed. You can get your first, second or booster jabs. Find out more at liverpool.gov.uk/coronavirus - The risk of catching or passing on Covid is highest in crowded, enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces, so where possible, try and meet outdoors, and let fresh air in if meeting indoors.
- If you cannot avoid a crowded space, wear a face covering. Please wear a face covering when you are visiting the GP, dentist or pharmacy or someone at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from Covid.
- Keep up good hygiene routines, including washing your hands and covering your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing.
- If you have a cough and a high temperature or you don’t feel well enough to carry out normal activities, stay at home if at all possible and away from other people until you feel well, so you don’t pass on infection. If you live with others, keep your home well-ventilated until your symptoms improve.
If you do go out, wear a mask, avoid public transport and keep your distance from people.
- If you have a positive Covid test result, stay at home if at all possible and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took your test. Avoid contact with people at higher risk of serious illness for 10 days.
- If someone in your household tests positive, there is a high risk you will become infected. It can take up to 10 days for infection to develop. Limit your contact with other people outside your household.
Wear a face mask if you do need to have close contact with others or if you are in a crowd and stay away from people at higher risk of becoming severely ill – like the elderly or those who are pregnant, the unvaccinated and those with lowered immunity.
For more advice please see: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-Covid-19
The HPB is a whole city response to health protection and includes membership from across the NHS and primary care, emergency services, social care, higher education, children’s services, faith and voluntary sectors, Healthwatch, business sectors and Liverpool City Council.
