This hasn’t been an easy time for anyone and coronavirus has really changed our lives.

Coronavirus is still here and it’s going to need a big team effort for us to live alongside it safely.

We all have a part to play, by thinking every day about what we should do, rather than what we can do, to protect lives, livelihoods and our ways of living.

Living alongside coronavirus

The COVID vaccine gives us hope.  However being vaccinated doesn’t mean you are fully protected. Even after you’ve had both doses of the vaccine you may still give COVID to someone else.

Even if you’ve been vaccinated you should continue to do these things to protect yourself and the people around you.

If we all remember to do these things every day as we go about our lives, it really will make a difference:

• Stay 2 metres back
• Regular handwashing
• Wear a face covering where required
• Keep indoor areas well ventilated
• Self-isolate if you or anyone in your household has any COVID symptoms, or if you’re asked to by a contact tracer
• Book a test if you have any COVID symptoms
• Get vaccinated, when called
• Download the NHS COVID-19 app
• Use asymptomatic testing services if they’re available in your area, workplace, school, college, or university

How to reduce your risk

It’s important to remember that almost one-in-three people with coronavirus don’t show symptoms.  There are steps you can take to reduce the risk to you and others:

Meeting in gardens

If you invite someone into your garden, you can reduce the risk of coronavirus by not sharing crockery or cutlery, keep social distancing and ensure no-one goes into your home. Allowing someone inside your home, even for a few minutes, increases the risk of catching or spreading the virus to everyone in your household.

Fresh air and ventilation

Fresh air can help to reduce the spread. Coronavirus spreads through airborne particles when we breathe and talk, and even more when laughing, shouting or exercising. Doing any of these things inside, in a poorly ventilated space, increases the risk even more. Being outdoors, or opening windows and doors if you’re inside, can help to decrease the number of infectious particles hanging around. If you must invite someone into your home, such as a tradesperson – open the windows to let fresh air in and ensure they are wearing a face covering.

Reduce the number of people you meet

We all want to meet our friends again. But think about what is the most sensible thing for you to do to protect your family, friends and your community. Try and limit how many different people you see. It’s better to see the same one or two people regularly than to see lots of different people occasionally. By only meeting a few people, rather than many, our social circle is smaller, and our associated contacts are less. When used alongside other safety measures, this will help reduce the potential spread of the virus.

Reduce face-to-face time with another person

The main way of spreading coronavirus is through close contact with an infected person. So meeting face-to-face increases the risk of getting and giving coronavirus – the shorter the time, the lower the risk. The NHS Covid-19 App will let you know if you have come into contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus. More than 21 million people are using the app like this to keep them safe. Your privacy is protected, so nobody, not even the government, will know who you are or where you are.

Social distancing is the best way to stop coronavirus spreading

Stay at least 2 metres away from people you do not live with or who are not in your support bubble. We all forget sometimes - if someone is too close while you are out and about, try asking them to step back and keep their distance. Choosing not to lift share, choosing less busy times, and using a face covering all help to reduce

Wash your hands

Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day. Hands touch many surfaces and can become contaminated with viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer viruses to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, viruses can enter your body and infect you. Washing or sanitising your hands removes viruses and other germs, so you are less likely to become infected if you touch your face.