Nottingham City Council is urging people in Nottingham to follow stricter guidelines to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

It follows a dramatic increase in positive cases of Covid-19 in Nottingham as well as a rise in the rate of infection.

The city is expecting the Government to introduce tougher rules in Nottingham later this week – similar to those introduced in other cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.

Ahead of that, the city council is asking people to take urgent steps now to not mix indoors with people from other households.

Alison Challenger, Director of Public Health for Nottingham: “We are seeing a dramatic increase in Covid-19 cases in Nottingham. Our rate of infection is now rising higher than many other parts of the country.

“This is a significant and worrying change.

“It means the measures we currently have in place are no longer enough to stop the spread of the virus in our city. We will have to do more to keep people safe in Nottingham.

“We would urge people to take action now and not mix indoors with people from other households. It remains OK to mix with those in your support bubbles unless someone has tested positive or has symptoms.

“We would ask people who have symptoms of Covid-19 – high temperature, continuous cough or loss of taste or smell – to self-isolate immediately and book a test by calling 119.

“And we strongly advise young people, including students in the city, to remain in their social bubbles and not mix in their homes with people from other households.”

Cllr David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, added: “It is important to remember that there is no vaccine for Covid-19 at present. Our best defence is to wash our hands, wear a face covering and maintain social distancing. It is important to acknowledge that the majority of people are following the correct behaviours and playing their part in keeping our city safe – and we thank them for this.

“However, it is clear from the rate of infection that we must take more precautions. Nobody can afford to be complacent. Everyone needs to ask themselves, ‘am I doing

enough to guard against a disease that could harm me, or the person next to me or my loved ones?’ If not, you need to change your approach and stick rigidly to the rules, if we are to see a reduction in the number of cases that are currently sweeping through our city.

“This will not be easy for any of us. We have been living with Covid-19 in our city and our communities for over eight months. Our lives have been restricted, we feel inconvenienced, and we all have worry and anxiety over our health and wellbeing. Some of us, sadly, may have lost loved ones to the virus.

“We are reaching a critical point in managing the spread of the virus as we head towards winter. So, we have to keep going. We have to continue to work together by sticking to the rules and following a few important rules and guidelines. This will help to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Nottingham.”

Latest figures for Nottingham City show an infection rate of 382 per 100,000 of the population. The most recent data for the city can be found here: https://nottinghamcity.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-19-surveillance-reports/