Press release - 30 April 2021 11:06

Bank Holiday reminder – let’s keep each other safe

With another Bank Holiday weekend upon us, residents in Bury are being urged to continue doing all they can to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Public health chiefs warn that, although some lockdown restrictions have been lifted, the virus hasn’t gone away - and there is still a risk of new more dangerous variants emerging.

They advise everyone:

Remember to restrict outdoor gatherings (including in parks, private gardens and beer gardens) to no more than six people or two households and to maintain social distancing.
Avoiding using public transport during the busiest times of the day.
Continue to wear face coverings when required and maintain social distancing whenever you’re out.
Wash your hands regularly.
Get vaccinated when called and continue to follow the rules even if you’ve had the vaccine. It may still be possible to catch and spread the virus even if you’ve had the jab.

Lesley Jones, Bury’s director of public health, said: “We’re making good progress in Bury, with 94,000 people having had their first dose of the vaccine and a further 47,000 have now received their second jab. Also, the infection rate is now down to levels not seen since last summer.

“However, there were still around 60 new cases in the last week alone, which shows that the virus is still very much with us, and we need to suppress it as much as we can.

“This is a highly infectious virus and it is spread by social contact. Plus, it is estimated that one in three people who have the virus have no symptoms, and - if they don’t follow the rules – could be inadvertently passing it on.

“I know everyone is desperate to get life back to normal, and enjoy the extra time off that a Bank Holiday brings. But the battle hasn’t been won yet, so let’s keep doing our bit and get through this together.”