Health chief warns Croydon residents to stay Covid-safe

Croydon’s public health boss is warning locals to stay safe as coronavirus cases creep up in the borough and the new Omicron variant hits London.

Rachel Flowers, director of public health at Croydon Council, is urging people to be cautious in the run up to Christmas.

It comes as new measures come into force following the emergence of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron.

Two new cases of the variant have been detected in Camden and Wandsworth bringing the UK total uo to 11.

Ms Flowers said: “Due to the sensible precautions we have been taking in Croydon throughout the past year, Covid-19 cases and fatalities have declined in our borough. Unfortunately, cases have started to increase again in recent weeks. Now the new Covid-19 variant – Omicron, presents another threat to our journey to return to a more normal way of life.

“To continue to slow the spread of the virus, we must return to being more cautious as Christmas and New Year approach and there will be more opportunities to socialise with family, friends and colleagues. The next stage of the pandemic is very difficult to predict.”

In the seven days up to November 24 there was a rate of 339 cases per 100,000 people in Croydon.

This was up from 271 per 100,000 in the previous week.

Case rates in the borough are the highest they have been since July.

The government is now offering out booster jabs to people between the ages of 18 and 39.

New rules brought in by the government include wearing face masks on public transports and in shops as well as advice for pupils and staff at secondary schools to wear masks in communal areas.