Health Protection Board Statement on Omicron variant in Liverpool
The Omicron variant is still a very serious threat in Liverpool and across the rest of the UK. The rate of Covid-19 infection, due to the Delta variant, was already high in Liverpool, and rates, due to Omicron are now rising.
Omicron is spreading at an extraordinary rate, doubling in less than two days in the North West, and almost a third of Covid-19 cases are now Omicron. It is highly likely that there will be a record peak of cases in a few weeks.
Liverpool Public Health:
The Liverpool Health Protection Board is expected to issue new advice to everyone living or working in Liverpool. The advice will be about us all doing the right thing – not just about following the rules:
Limit your close contact with other people outside your household.
Think carefully before you mix with other people because the Omicron variant is spreading fast and is a grave threat.
If you choose to go to an event or mix with other people, follow the guidance below:
Meet people outdoors where you can.
If you decide to meet indoors, avoid crowds, open the windows and make sure there is fresh air circulating.
Cover your nose and mouth with a face covering anytime you are in close contact with people you do not live with.
Assume that whomever you meet is infected.
Take a LFD test before you meet people, and ask other people to take a test too, including people you live with.
Testing is especially important before you meet vulnerable people at risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
If you have symptoms of Covid-19, even if mild, please immediately isolate and book a PCR test. There is a high risk that people you live with will get infected too, so try to isolate away from other people, wear a face covering if you are in the same room and windows open, and wash your hands frequently and regularly clean the environment.
If you have been in contact with someone who has Covid-19, you are at much greater risk of becoming infected, and you may spread infection to others.
You must isolate for 10 days unless you have had two doses of vaccine or are aged less than 18 years and 6 months.
We all need to encourage those who have not been fully vaccinated to have their 1st or 2nd dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Everyone over 18 is eligible for the booster after 3 months.
In particular, we must strive to ensure that vulnerable people and the housebound are appropriately vaccinated.