THANK you to everyone who has come forward for their first, second and booster jabs so far.

We have had a fantastic level of vaccine take-up in Wirral, thanks to residents, community groups, businesses and NHS all playing their part to keep Wirral well.

But there is more work to do.

Getting your jabs remains the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against COVID-19 - including the new Omicron variant.

Booster jabs are crucial to restore good levels of immunity for people who have been fully jabbed for three months or more.

If you have not yet had your first or second jabs – it’s not too late! I urge you to get them as soon as you can.

There are vaccination walk-in clinics in Wirral or you can book online.

If you work outside of the borough, commuting to Liverpool or Chester for example, take advantage of clinics near your workplace, to save time.

We now know that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is highly transmissible and has the potential to put enormous pressure on essential services, this winter.

To stop the spread of infection, I urge all residents to continue doing all the things that we know keep us safe – as well as following the new Plan B guidance.

Please wear a face-covering in all enclosed spaces, including on public transport, shops and at Christmas events. It is now a legal requirement to do this in most indoor settings unless you are exempt. 

Work from home if you can.

Wash your hands regularly and use hand-sanitiser when you’re out and about. - If you feel well and don’t have symptoms, you should still take lateral flow tests before socialising, going to events, busy workplaces, or shopping.  You can collect free testing kits from lots of sites across Wirral.

If you do have symptoms, self-isolate immediately and get a PCR test. You can book a PCR test online.

Or go to a walk-in test centre.

If you have a positive test result, stay at home.

COVID-19 is an airborne virus, and that means is safer to meet outdoors. If that isn’t possible, open a window to let in some fresh air.

I know it’s cold, but even ten minutes of extra airflow can help stop the spread.

Thank you all for playing your part and thanks for reading.

Julie.