Debbie Chase, Interim Director of Public Health at Southampton City Council, has written to the University to thank our community for the ongoing dedication and hard work in keeping the community safe over the recent months and into 2021. You can read the message below.
Thank you for the amazing work you have all achieved during this, most difficult, University term. Alongside your primary responsibility in providing a high quality educational experience for students, you have worked tirelessly to reduce risk of infection and ensure that students’ wellbeing is held paramount alongside their safety. We have all had to adapt to new ways of learning and working and as Southampton’s Director of Public Health, it has been my privilege to work closely with representatives from your Universities over the many months since the pandemic struck. This trusted relationship has meant that our organisations have been stronger in our collective preventative action and response as a result.
It is testament to the hard work of both University staff and students alike that we have not seen the high levels of infection within our universities when compared to many parts of the country, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has played their part. Encouragingly, our rates of infection continue to drop in Southampton, this being one-week since the end of national restrictions. Nevertheless, and as you might expect, with the shift from national restrictions to Tier 2 (high alert), that decline in infection rate is beginning to slow. More worrying, the South East average infection rate continues to rise, which is mainly due to rising infection rates in many parts of Kent. What this shows is that the situation can change quickly, and it’s for this reason that we must continue to follow all infection prevention and control practices as we move from winter into spring 2021.
The recent MHRA approval of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, with the first NHS patients receiving their initial dose this week, is a pivotal step in our fight against the virus. It offers us the hope we are all looking for in moving to a more ‘normal’ way of life again. However, there is a risk that the arrival of the vaccine may lead some people into a false sense of security and to underestimate the importance of continuing to do everything to reduce the spread of infection to protect one another, our families, communities, and the health system in which we so depend. Please do continue to do the great work you have all been doing to date to reduce the spread of infection into next semester and beyond, and remind students and staff about the importance of getting the basics right – hands, face, space, and isolating with a test if symptomatic, as well as engaging with any asymptomatic testing opportunities as much as possible.
My public health team and I thank you for your amazing work, wish you a safe and restful break over the festive period and look forward to our continuing work in 2021 when we can reach a brighter future together.
Kind regards,
Debbie
Debbie Chase
Interim Director of Public Health
