Residents in Sunderland are being urged to continue to be cautious as self-isolation rules are scrapped.
Gerry Taylor, Sunderland City Council's Director of Public Health, urged residents to be cautious to protect themselves and especially those most vulnerable as the country learns to live with Covid.
It comes as Boris Johnson announced his plan to 'live with Covid' in England earlier this week, which includes an end to mandatory self-isolation from today and axing free tests from April 1.
Go here for more Sunderland news and updates from Sunderland Live
In her latest video to residents, Gerry Taylor said: "Staying at home when you have Covid is still really important to stop the spread of infection, so although the law will change this week, I would still encourage you to stay at home if you have a positive test and follow the advice about what you need to do.
"We know staying at home isn’t easy and we’ll be adding information to our website about local support available in the coming days.
"Please continue to help us keep infections down by testing regularly and free testing for all remains in place until the first of April.
"So my message this week is that Covid is still here and it is not going anywhere anytime soon. The virus continues to spread and people of all ages remain susceptible to infection.
"It’s important we all move forward cautiously and continue to take the everyday precautions that will allow us to live alongside Covid.
"Please keep up-to-date with Covid vaccinations – it’s never too late to start your course of vaccinations and even if you have had Covid it is important to get all your jabs for the most protection.
"Test when you need to and, as with any other illness, stay at home if you feel unwell.
"Other measures we have become used to, such as wearing a face covering in crowded indoor spaces, keeping a safe distance from others, washing hands regularly and ventilating rooms also continue to be important to help stop the spread.
"Remember some will find this a daunting time so please be considerate of those who may be more vulnerable and those who are cautious at this time.
"We have worked together to get this far and it’s important we all keep working together to keep moving forward smoothly and protect ourselves, each other, and our more vulnerable residents."
Gerry's video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/7TFPrtlLdTw
You can find guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do
