Health chiefs issue 'stay safe and follow rules' Bank Holiday message despite falling Covid rates

That was the message from Nottinghamshire’s director of public health Jonathan Gribbin during a weekly briefing to journalists on Friday.

He revealed that the infection rate was now down to 24.6 cases per 100,000 and that it was a ‘positive picture for the county’.

But he urged folk to continue to follow the guidelines as the holiday weekend approached.

“Overall it’s a positive picture for the county,” Mr Gribbin said. "Our figures are bumping along close to the England’s average, although there are some variations between districts.

"In relative terms, though district variations sound like increases, they actually represent small numbers of people and is no particular cause for concern.

“Going into the Bank Holiday we are in a positive position, but our hearts go out to those with contacts in India and sub-continent. It’s a reminder we must all help keep Covid under control.”

He urged people to only socialise indoors with their own household, outdoors with one other household of up to six people, maintain hand-washing, face covering, social distancing and twice-weekly testing.

Mr Gribbin also said that where county rates were slightly rising, it simply highlighted the uptake in asymptomatic testing and ‘evidence of people playing their part’.