Medway Covid contingency plans 'in place for winter'

Contingency plans are in place for the winter if Covid infection rates continue to rise, Medway's public health director has said.

James Williams said public health officials were tracking trends and Medway had already seen an increase.

He said health workers planned daily for Covid but were also looking towards the winter season when there was more of a risk of respiratory viruses.

He urged people to take sensible measures.

"We're clearly planning for Covid as we do daily, but we have clearly got contingency plans should there be an increase in prevalence in cases through the winter period," he said.

The public health chief said: "Our message is always to be cautious, to use sensible precautions when you're out and about, maintain the standard tools we've been trying to encourage folk to do, which is hand hygiene and - albeit people don't need to wear those things now legally - but face coverings will help to reduce the spread of the virus."

By Mark Norman, Health Correspondent, BBC South East

The data tells us Covid infections are up across England. Hospital admissions involving Covid are also up but thankfully Covid admissions to intensive care units remain low and that's significant.

The current rising rates have not, yet, had an impact on the ability of the NHS to do its job.

As I write, there are 602 Covid patients in hospital in Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

Remember many will be in there for other reasons and just happened to test positive on admission.

The number in our intensive care departments is thankfully very low - just 11.

For now, that is good news. But clinicians will be following case rates closely in case those numbers change significantly.

Mr Williams urged people to take up offers of vaccinations for Covid and seasonal influenza.

He also said: "If you feel poorly, if you've got a high temperature, you get loss of sense of taste or smell or start coughing, these are potentially symptoms of Covid.

"I would be cautious. I would actually stay at home until you feel better."

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