Two metre social distancing still in place in Luton

Luton Council is urging residents to continue to stick to the 2 metre social distancing guideline, which is still in place.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister's announced a further easing of restrictions, a '1-metre-plus' now being in place, which means members of the public can be 1 metre away from each other as long as other measures are put in place to limit the transmission of the virus. These include wearing a face covering, installing screens, making sure people face away from each other and providing extra handwashing facilities.

But Luton Council is asking the public to stick to the original guideline to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Although the number of deaths and cases in Luton has decreased, health officials are currently seeing a slight increase in the number of cases.

Gerry Taylor, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Lockdown may be easing but the crisis is not over. I would advise Luton residents to be cautious and vigilant.

"The fewer people you come into contact with, the safer you will be, so the safest thing to do is to stay at home as much as you can.

“If you have to go out, keeping 2 metres away from other people and washing your hands thoroughly when you return home, will significantly help to protect you, as well as your family and friends.”

The latest scientific evidence suggests that keeping a 2 metre distance carries between 2 and 10 times less risk than 1 metre.

To maintain the steady decline in cases, as more businesses open from 4 July, the advice to residents is:

- stay at home as much as possible

- if meeting up with others, do so outside

- stick to the 2 metre guidelines – Luton town centre re-opening has been specifically designed with this in mind- continue to wash hands regularly

Councillor Khtija Malik, Portfolio Holder with responsibility for public health, said: “I know we have all had to make sacrifices, and some of us have lost loved ones and friends, but it’s vital that we all continue to do what we can to combat this deadly disease.

"We don’t want all our hard efforts to be in vain, so please heed our advice and together we can win this battle.

“We also fully appreciate how important it is to allow Luton’s economy to recover, but I cannot stress strongly enough that we must all continue to play our part in fighting this dreadful disease and the best way to continue to defeat it lies in extreme caution and vigilance.”

Gerry added: “It is important to emphasise that even after 4 July, social distancing measures remain in place.

"If you need to go out where 2 metres cannot be achieved the risk should be minimised through measures such as protective face coverings and limiting the duration of contact.”

For the latest guidance visit www.luton.gov.uk/coronavirusMessage from the editor:

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