York residents and visitors are being urged to wear their face masks outside on busy shopping streets by the council leader.
On the day that mask wearing became compulsory again in shops and on public transport, Cllr Keith Aspden said people should go even further if they can.
City of York Council had already issued reminders to its staff of infection control measures which will be in place until the end of January, including working at home where possible, wearing face coverings in council buildings and residents’ homes, taking lateral flow tests twice a week, and washing hands regularly.
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]
“Remember, your best protection against COVID-19 is vaccination, so please make sure you get your vaccination, your booster if you are entitled to it, and get your flu vaccination.
“Beyond our own staff, we are encouraging residents and visitors to York to wear face coverings in crowded outdoor areas as the Christmas shopping season gets underway.
“This timely city-wide campaign reminds people to remain vigilant and continue to take sensible precautions such as handwashing and ensuring a flow of fresh air when indoors.
“Many of York’s secondary schools have already been encouraging pupils to wear face coverings in communal areas.
“I want to thank the people of York for their ongoing cooperation with public health advice and guidance and for working so hard to keep our communities safe. We will continue to monitor the current situation and keep residents updated if anything changes.”
Omicron variant measures
The stricter measures were brought in after cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant were discovered in the UK.
They include:
Face coverings will be compulsory in shops and other settings such as banks, post offices and hairdressers, as well as on public transport unless individuals are exempt from doing so.
All secondary pupils and staff will have to wear face coverings in communal areas of school. Staff in primary schools will also be required to wear them in communal areas.
All travellers arriving into the country will be required to take a PCR test on or before day 2 and self-isolate until they have received a negative test result. These PCR tests can be purchased from private providers. Free NHS tests are not valid for this purpose