"At least half of Covid-19 prevention comes from staying at home," says Sheffield Council

From March there were strict rules in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus, which for months included staying at home as much as possible and keeping two metres apart from anyone outside of your home.

Although rules were eased slightly in recent weeks the council is keen to continue prevention programmes for at least another year and has revealed the impact of different measures.

A council report about the Outbreak Control Board, which was set up to gather information on covid19, prevent the spread of the virus and respond to outbreaks, said at least half of the reduction in transmissions to date came from people staying at home, 30 percent came from social distancing and 15 percent from outbreak management.

It added: “These prevention measures of staying at home and social distancing will continue to be crucial in keeping cases of covid19 low in Sheffield.

“Studies are also suggesting that nationally, only approximately half of people with symptoms suggestive of covid19 are reporting them to the national NHS Test and Trace system.

“We need this to be much higher in Sheffield, therefore there is a very significant communication and engagement programme needed that will need to continue for at least 12 to 18 months.

“One of the most significant roles for the Board will be preventing outbreaks and cases before they occur through rigorous messaging around hygiene, social distancing and staying at home when symptomatic. This needs significant and ongoing communication and engagement with individuals and communities, reaching into every bit of the city through work with partners and trusted message-givers.”

The council said the city has an overarching communications plan for covid19 which balances the need to keep people safe and ensure businesses can reopen.

It was allocated £3.1 million from the Department of Health and Social Care to be spent on outbreak control work.

The report will be discussed at a healthier communities and adult social care scrutiny and policy development committee on Wednesday. The meeting will be available for the public to view via a webcast link here https://sheffield.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/497565

Editor's message: Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues. The Star is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions for unlimited access to Sheffield news and information online. Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.