Essex residents and businesses are being urged by the county council to get vaccinated and continue to follow Covid-19 guidance, following a delay in the last step of the Government’s roadmap.
Residents and businesses are being urged to continue following protective Covid-19 measures after the Government announced yesterday that there would be up to a four-week delay to the planned unlocking on 21 June. Step Four of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown has been delayed until Monday 19 July.
Step Four will see all legal limits on social contact removed. The delay comes after the highly transmissible Delta variant – now the dominant Covid-19 variant across the UK – has resulted in a recent rapid increase in the number of cases.
The Government has delayed the final step to allow for more time to gather further data and assess whether vaccinations are breaking the link between the number of cases and hospital admissions, or simply weakening it.
The delay will also enable the vaccination programme to continue to roll out at pace, enabling everyone over the age of 18 to receive a first or second dose of the vaccine before 19 July.
The County Council is sharing regular advice and guidance with residents throughout its Keep Covid In Check campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. More information about support available for Essex residents and businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic is available on ECC’s Coronavirus Hub.
Chelmsford businesses can also sign up to the Chelmsford for Business e-newsletter to be the first to hear about support and updates as they are announced.