Covid-19 will not ‘be over by spring,’ warns Sheffield’s director of public health

Residents were warned to expect to live with Covid-19 at least until summer as an “optimistic” target, Sheffield’s director of public health said.
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Greg Fell gave the update during a Sheffield Council cabinet meeting this week.

He expects the city to start to see improvements by spring but warned people not to get their hopes up for then being the end of restrictions.

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Mr Fell said: “The ‘when will it end’ is the crystal ball gazing.

Sheffield's Covid-19 testing centre on Shipton Street Car Park in Upperthorpe. Picture Scott MerryleesSheffield's Covid-19 testing centre on Shipton Street Car Park in Upperthorpe. Picture Scott Merrylees
Sheffield's Covid-19 testing centre on Shipton Street Car Park in Upperthorpe. Picture Scott Merrylees

“My suspicion is that from mid to late February the tide will begin to turn but quite slowly. Enough of our population will be vaccinated by then to have a reasonably substantial impact on mortality and hospitalisation, possibly on transmission, and we will be spending more time outdoors.

“But we will still have nowhere near enough coverage of vaccination to resolve the problem.

“So I do think we will be in a space where we are living with Covid for at least until summer.

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“I don’t want to be the purveyor of bad news but I don’t think it is right or reasonable to think this will all be over by spring because I honestly don’t think it will be.

“We don’t know the extent to which the virus may mutate further, that has happened and we’ve seen the impact of that so I think we will be in a position where we will need to be careful for some considerable time to come.”

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