• wash your hands regularly
• avoid busy gatherings
• keep your distance
• wear a face covering

Oxford residents are being urged to help stop the spread of coronavirus as the number of cases in the city increases.

Over the most recent week up to 24 July, the number of new cases in Oxford has risen approximately threefold to 31. The majority of new cases have been in East Oxford.

Oxfordshire’s Director of Public Health Ansaf Azhar explains: “Local increases are to be expected as we ease out of lockdown, particularly in densely populated urban areas. This is consistent with the picture across other parts of the country, and Oxford is no exception.”

But with more events and gatherings set to take place over the coming weeks, such as Eid celebrations and a range of fairs across Oxfordshire, the Mr Azhr is keen to stress the need for everyone to maintain social distancing and stay alert.

“It is up to each of us to stop the virus spreading – our safety is literally in our own hands, ” he said.

“Make sure you wash your hands regularly, avoid busy gatherings, keep your distance and wear a face covering where appropriate. And if you have any coronavirus symptoms, you must self-isolate immediately and call 119 to book a test.

“By taking these simple measures, we can protect ourselves and our communities. But we need to act now to stop the spread.

“We have seen other towns, such as Luton and Northampton, put local control measures in place when faced with a spike in cases, such as limiting the number of people who can meet. We are not yet in this position. But we are monitoring the situation very closely and we will put measures in place if the number of new cases continues to rise.

“We have clear systems in place through our Local Outbreak Plans to manage any local transmission hotspots. However, prevention is by far the best way to manage the situation, and the public have a vital role to play in preventing local outbreaks. My advice is simple – act now to protect yourself, protect your community, and stop the spread.”