North Somerset Council has declared a Covid warning after recorded cases in the district reached an all-time high - and continue to rise.

The seven-day average in North Somerset has now reached 470.1 cases which is above the UK rate of 399.6 cases and the South West's rate of 386.4 cases.

The council's deputy leader and executive for health, Cllr Mike Bell, has stressed that, although it is no longer mandatory post-July 19, people should obey social distancing rules when possible to reduce the spread of Covid.

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Cllr Bell said: "The risk of coming into contact with Covid in our community has never been higher.

“Those who have been double vaccinated at least two weeks ago will have the best protection against catching the disease or getting seriously ill if they do come into contact the with the virus.

“Our vaccination rates are excellent, with nearly 70 per cent of people having had two jabs, but this still leaves thousands of people with less or no protection, having only had one, or none.

“So even though you do not need to legally follow Covid safety rules anymore, it is still extremely important you do all you can to avoid catching or spreading the virus."

%image(14189776, type="article-full", alt="Cllr Mike Bell has asked residents to "do all you can" to stop the spread of Covid.")

Cllr Bell also stated that it is also important to isolate if you have any coronavirus symptoms, have tested positive, or have been told to isolate by the NHS Test and Trace app.

The council's director of public health, Matt Lenny, has echoed this call, adding that vaccines alone are not enough to stop the coronavirus.

Mr Lenny said: "Vaccinations alone are not enough to put an end to Covid, especially when we have rising infection rates.

“Please keep washing your hands, wearing face coverings, getting tested, self-isolating if you need to, and staying outside as much as you can.

“The virus spreads fastest in closed settings that have very little ventilation, where it is crowded, and where you have close contact with people you don’t usually mix with.

“With restrictions easing, it is not always possible to avoid these kinds of situations, but there are things you can do to lower your own risk."