PEOPLE should keep their social contacts to a minimum if they want to avoid catching Covid-19 and missing out on Christmas with their family, a senior adviser has said.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser for the UK Health Security Agency, said people need to take action themselves to prevent transmission.
Having less contact with others, taking lateral flow tests before meeting, working from home, wearing a face mask, keeping areas well ventilated, getting vaccinated and having the booster are all measures people can take, she said.
Hopkins was asked if people should lie low in the next week or two if they want to avoid Omicron and spend Christmas with their families.
She told Times Radio: “We’ve spent two years, almost two years now living with this virus. We know how it transmits. It transmits when we’re with other people.
“And therefore when we are coming up to a time where we will have engagements that we want to make, family that we want to see, then ensuring that we have less contacts before those is important so that we don’t transmit to others.”
Asked if she would advise people to avoid going out if they want to see family members at Christmas, Hopkins said: “People know how transmission is prevented. I know how transmission is prevented. It’s prevented by reducing your social contacts.
“But sometimes you need to see your friends and you need to see your work colleagues or you need to go to that Christmas party for your mental health and wellbeing. If you’re going to do that, then take a lateral flow, go and get your vaccine, get boosted as soon as possible.
“Those are actions that you can take. If you want to make sure that you are not going to get infected, then keep your contacts to a minimum.”
Asked what her advice is to people going to Christmas parties, she said it will be about “individual decision making” and what people need to do for their own mental health wellbeing.
“Taking lateral flows before you go to these events will help reduce transmission.
“And it will be for individuals to make those decisions in the coming days to decide how they want to spend their time and how they want to reduce transmission amongst their community.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here