With cases of COVID-19 rising in the Royston area, North Herts Council has issued a leaflet advising residents to take action, to help reduce cases.

Royston Crow: North Herts Council is offering advice to Royston residents following a rise in COVID casesNorth Herts Council is offering advice to Royston residents following a rise in COVID cases (Image: North Herts Council)

The advice is particularly important in light of the new omicron variant, which has been found in both Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Cllr Gary Grindal, executive member for housing and environmental health, said: “Royston has seen a spike in cases and we have been working closely with our partners, including Hertfordshire County Council – which is responsible for public health and schools – to help our residents stay safe.

"This includes distributing advice leaflets to households and businesses, and offering Lateral Flow Test (LFT) kits to organisations who need them.

“It is still important to take simple precautions – like washing your hands regularly, wearing a face covering, maintain good distancing, especially with those you do not know and ventilating enclosed spaces.

"If necessary test regularly and follow guidelines if you do have symptoms. The latest medical advice is to do a LFT before going out, especially if you expect to be going into a building, travelling by bus or train or mixing with others. The best thing you can do is get vaccinated and have your booster when you can.

“Following these measures and the latest government advice is the best way to keep protected – we all need to work together for the benefit of the whole community.”

The leaflet also contains a message from Jim McManus, director of public health at Herts County Council, who said: "I'd like to personally thank everyone in Hertfordshire for playing their part to protect each other.

"We must, however, still be cautious as we head into winter. We're not asking people to stop living their lives, just to take the few simple precautions outlined above and overleaf.

"We know there is a lot of false information circulating which means that it can become confusing for people and it's difficult to know who to trust.

"But none of us want to be responsible for passing COVID-19 on to someone who could get seriously ill. Following these measures and the latest government advice is the best thing you can do to help protect yourself and your loved ones."