Whilst the number of cases in the district is lower than the England average, and nowhere near the levels in the north of England, we have seen a rise over the last week. 

The national trend is clearly upward.

We cannot afford to be complacent in the face of a deadly pandemic.

We must all remain vigilant and follow the rules if we are to keep the virus under control in the district.

We all have a role to play.  Remember – wash hands, cover face, make space.  If you can, please download the NHS Covid-19 App to help the Test and Trace effort.

And we have to do this now to get a grip on Covid before the winter months.

None of us want to see a return to the situation earlier in the year when the NHS came under enormous pressure.

We also want to avoid a second lock-down at all costs.  That would be disastrous for the local economy.

I recognise that some people are growing tired of the restrictions placed on our day-to-day lives.

But we each have a personal responsibility to follow the rules in order to protect our loved ones and the wider community.

For its part, the Council continues to maintain your key public services.  We’re operating “business as usual” with some adjustments to protect the safety of both residents and our staff.

We’re also continuing to advise local businesses as they adjust to new ways of working so they can continue to trade safely.

Where necessary, we’ll intervene if businesses are not following the guidelines designed to keep you safe.

We’re also using our new CCTV investment to keep a watchful eye on social distancing in town centres and supporting Kent Police with their enforcement of Covid regulations.

We all want life to return to normal.  By working together and following the rules, with each of us taking personal responsibility and looking out for each other, we can keep Covid at bay in the district.