South Yorkshire public health boss: Omicron is 'of concern' amid Plan B roll-out

Julia Burrows, Barnsley’s director of public health, encouraged residents to follow guidance such as hand washing and wearing face coverings, adding that wearing a mask ‘could be the difference between saving or taking a life’.

The Prime Minister’s announced yesterday (December 8) that England will move to Plan B measures to slow the spread of Omicron.

Face masks will be compulsory in most public indoor venues from tomorrow, and NHS Covid passes will be mandatory from Wednesday in for indoor settings of 500 people or more, outdoor settings of 4,000 people or more, and any setting with 10,000 attendees or more.

What is the situation with Covid in Barnsley?

In Barnsley, 49 new people had a positive test reported on December 8, and 1,016 people had a confirmed positive test result between December 2 and 8.

This shows an increase of 9.8 per cent compared to the previous 7 days.

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Between November 22 and 28, 25 people went into hospital with coronavirus., which is a decrease of 47.9 per cent when compared to the previous seven days.

Between December 2 and 8, there have been nine deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.

This is an increase of 50 per cent when compared to the previous seven days.

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Is Omicron a worry, and what can I do to help stop the spread?

Julia Burrows told the local democracy reporting service that every small action we take to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, as well as getting a flu vaccination and choosing the right healthcare service for our needs ‘can help ease the pressure on A&E and 999 services, as well as intensive care’.

Ms Burrows added that there is ‘a lot of uncertainty about Omicron’, and that it is ‘of concern’.

“Until we know more, it is really important to be very cautious.

“We have known since early on in the pandemic that we can expect new Covid variants, and we know what actions we need to take when confronted with a new variant of concern.

“We’ve had an outbreak management plan in place since June 2020, to help us tackle local outbreaks quickly and effectively. It will ensure that communities and settings can respond should we have connected Omicron cases.

“Small actions by lots of individuals can have a large benefit for the whole population by reducing overall virus transmission.

“I strongly encourage people in Barnsley to continue with the safe behaviours which we know can help reduce transmission – wearing a face covering, regular hand washing, ventilating indoor areas, and keeping a good distance between yourselves and people you don’t live with.

“I was an early advocate for wearing a face-covering in indoor public places, and it is as important now as ever. Evidence of the effectiveness of face coverings in reducing transmission continues to mount.

“We don’t always know whether we are infectious or not so the choice whether or not to wear a mask when you go out could be the difference between saving or taking a life – it really can be as stark as that. It’s why every time I see someone wearing a face covering, I am so grateful to each of them for their selfless act.”