PEOPLE in Herefordshire have been told to cut down on the number of people they meet over the Christmas period as Covid concerns health bosses.

Herefordshire Council said it was understandable that people in the county wanted to socialise with friends and family, but coronavirus wasn’t going to “take a break”.

The council’s acting director for public health Dr Rebecca Howell-Jones said people should prioritise who they see.

“Following advice to limit social contact, along with other measures to help stop the spread of Covid-19, will help protect you, your loved ones and the NHS, which is always under pressure over the festive period,”  the council said.

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Dr Howell-Jones said: “We all want to enjoy Christmas. But it’s important to remember that the best present you can give friends and family is their safety.

“This is why we are asking people to think about who they are meeting, prioritising those who are most important to them and limit other social contacts.

“We’re also asking residents to take steps to celebrate safely when they do meet friends and family.

“Testing is also a vital part of reducing the spread of this virus. We want people to enjoy themselves while staying safe. So, if you do plan to meet people outside your household you should take a lateral flow test beforehand.”

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She said people should take up the offer of Covid vaccines, and to keep washing hands, working from home where possible, letting fresh air indoors and wearing face coverings when shopping, in places of worship and on public transport

Anyone with a temperature, cough, loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, no matter how mild, needs to isolate and get a PCR test as quickly as possible, she added.

The number of coronavirus cases in Herefordshire increased by 160 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

A total of 23,875 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 in Herefordshire when the UK coronavirus daily dashboard was updated on December 16 (Thursday), up from 23,715 on Wednesday.

Some 113 cases were reported on Wednesday.