Coronavirus: latest guidance

Hertfordshire in Tier 2 from 2 December

Hertfordshire will move into Tier 2 from 2 December when the current period of national restrictions ends. The return to a regional tiered approach to restrictions was announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary. 

David Williams, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, has advised:

“It has been announced that following the end of the national lockdown, Hertfordshire as a whole will move into Tier 2: High Alert, in the Government's new system of Covid-19 Alert Levels. 

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all Hertfordshire residents who have continued to play their part over the last month by adhering to the national restrictions. However, the virus is still circulating widely in the community, and we must not let our guard down in the run up to the festive period.

“The recent announcement of a vaccine marks a significant step forward in the fight against Covid-19, yet we cannot afford to be complacent. We must all continue to take responsibility to lower the risks in our day-to-day lives by playing our part - keeping up the basics of hand-washing, social distancing and wearing face-masks, getting a test if you develop symptoms and self-isolating when required – and now following the restrictions which apply to Tier 2.”

Further information on the local restriction tiers is available via the guidance below:

• Local restriction tiers: what you need to know - what you can and cannot do in each tier
• Tier posters - information about the various tiers of restrictions in England from 2 December 2020.

COVID-19 Winter Plan announced

The Prime Minister has announced the COVID-19 Winter Plan which presents 'a programme for suppressing the virus, protecting the NHS and the vulnerable, keeping education and the economy going and providing a route back to normality'.

The COVID-19 Winter Plan also sets out how national restrictions in England will be lifted.

Restrictions over the Christmas period 23-27 December

UK-wide arrangements to ease restrictions from 23-27 December have been agreed. Guidance on making a Christmas bubble with friends and family has been published.

Importance of ventilation in enclosed spaces

A new short film has been released by the government that shows the importance of ventilation to reduce spread of COVID-19. The film shows how coronavirus lingers in enclosed spaces, and how to keep your home ventilated.

Staying Mentally Well

The Staying mentally well: winter plan 2020 to 2021 sets out the support that will be in place in the immediate term to help mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on people’s mental health and wellbeing this winter. Further resources and advice is available on Public Health England’s Better Health: Every Mind Matters.

COVID-19 cases in Hertfordshire - Please play your part to reduce transmission

By reducing our day-to-day contact with other people, we reduce the spread of the virus.

It is particularly important that anyone who has any symptoms of COVID-19 self-isolates properly. Staying at home if you’re ill is the single most important thing you can do to help us stop coronavirus spreading. Even a quick trip to the shops risks exposing other, more vulnerable, people to this dangerous illness.

Vaccine News

The UK’s independent regulator is to evaluate the latest data from Pfizer and BioNTech to ensure the quality, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine meets the standards required.

The government has secured 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, 'if it meets robust standards of safety and effectiveness and approved by the medicines regulator, the vaccine could be delivered to the UK and Europe as early as Spring 2021'.

The Prime Minister provided a statement at the 9 November press conference about the news of progress towards a vaccine. If the Pfizer vaccine passes all the rigorous safety checks and is proved to be effective then a UK-wide NHS led programme of vaccine distribution will be undertaken.  

See a Data Briefing by Professor Van-Tam from 11 November about vaccines here.

Further information on vaccination is available from the NHS. 

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Official guidance