CORONAVIRUS: “Please help keep Hartlepool safe”

Craig Blundred says now isn’t the time to drop our guard: “We know the vaccination programme is working to help prevent serious disease and reduce deaths and it is absolutely vital eligible people across Hartlepool continue to get the jabs they are entitled to.

“COVID-19 cases are still high in Hartlepool and I do need to ask people across the Borough to continue to exercise caution as we learn to live with COVID.

“So if you have symptoms of COVID, or have a positive test, you should still isolate for the required time by staying at home. If your children are sick then please keep them from school to avoid infecting others.

“The evidence is also absolutely clear that wearing face coverings in busy indoor areas and on public transport will still help to protect you and those around you even though they're no longer legally required.

“Continuing to wash and sanitise your hands regularly and allowing fresh air to circulate indoors will also help to reduce infections.

“But the most important thing of all is that each and every one of us gets the vaccine and the booster jabs.”

It comes as a free taxi service has been launched in Hartlepool to make it easier for people to attend walk-in Covid vaccination clinics. 

Hartlepool Borough Council is funding the “Cabs for Jabs” initiative with money received from the Government’s COVID-19 Outbreak Management Fund.

Access to transport has been identified as a key barrier to vaccination for some, and the return taxi service aims to boost attendance at clinics staged by the Council in partnership with the NHS.

Open to all residents of the town, taxis can be booked to take people to a clinic, wait for a maximum of 15 minutes while they get their vaccinations and then return them home.

The service will began on 1st March, and bookings can only be made by calling the Council on (01429) 523330.

It will continue to operate throughout March, and will then be reviewed to assess its impact.