London has been placed on a watchlist of local areas of concern, it comes as the number of Covid-19 cases requiring hospital treatments has increased significantly in recent days.
This means that we must all step up our efforts to combat the virus spreading further.
Dr Will Maimaris, Haringey’s Director of Public Health, urged residents to treat the matter with the utmost urgency.
He said:
“If we take action now, we will be able to slow the spread.
“If we don’t and the situation worsens, then we risk further sanctions being placed on Haringey and London as a whole that will have a very real impact on our daily lives.
“As a community, we must do the right thing and play our part, and that means making some small sacrifices for the greater good.”
Dr Maimaris urged people to download the recently released Test and Trace app.
He said:
“This will help slow the spread and avoid the dangers of a full return to lockdown.
“All the information it holds is held on your phone, it isn’t recorded anywhere else.”
He added that Haringey started seeing increases in the number of cases following the end of lockdown. That jumped considerably after the summer holidays, especially among the under 30s age groups.
Dr Maimaris continued:
“Although younger people tend not to come down with the worst effects of Covid-19, the more they pass it on the greater the chance it will affect older, more vulnerable, age groups.
“We have started to see that happen, more people are now requiring hospital treatment because of the seriousness of their condition.
“It will sadly mean that more people are going to die.”
CllrJoseph Ejiofor, Haringey Council Leader also called for action, warning that if we don’t act quickly, we could end up in lockdown again, affecting businesses as well as residents. He said:
He said:
“Many of our small independent businesses have already had a very tough time because of the Covid-19 pandemic, another lockdown would hit many even harder.
“The advice is there to protect everyone. So please pay attention to it: wear a face covering over your nose and mouth in enclosed spaces and on public transport; socially distance by keeping two metres away from people you do not live with; follow the rule of 6; and wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.
“And if you are feeling ill or have come into contact with someone who has tested positive, stay at home in self-isolation.”
You can download the NHS COVID-19 app from the App Store and Google Play. Find out more at the NHS website here (external link).
If you need support, please visit our Haringey Together pages for information and guidance, from mental health advice to practical help available.
We also have dedicated advice for businesses.
