People asked what motivates them to follow the actions that best reduce the spread of Covid-19 and other viruses this winter.
- High COVID cases and critical pressure on hospitals as Suffolk becomes an Enhanced Response Area
- New public safety campaign aims to get people to consider what small acts they can do now to keep safe and enjoying the things they love most
The Suffolk Resilience Forum has today launched a new campaign asking people what motivates them to follow the actions that best reduce the spread of Covid-19 and other viruses this winter.
The ‘What’s It Worth?’ campaign encourages people to consider what small acts they can do now, such as wearing a mask or regular testing, so we can continue enjoying the things we all love doing – like going to the pub, meeting friends and having family for dinner.
It comes as Suffolk becomes an Enhanced Response Area (ERA) because of high covid rates and increasing pressure on the NHS. Suffolk is currently seeing 400 new cases each day, with particularly high rates in Ipswich and West Suffolk, especially in the over 60s age range.
Stuart Keeble, Director of Public Health at Suffolk County Council, said:
“We know that doing very small acts in our lives can keep COVID-19 and other winter viruses under control – we’ve lived it for more than 18 months.
“Today, however, we face new challenges with high infection rates and continuing hospitalisations at exactly the same time that NHS is trying to catch up on delayed treatments for millions of people. We have additional support from Government, but we must all play a part. We must tackle this together.
“The new campaign asks people to consider what those small acts are worth. For me, I wear a mask so that I can meet my parents at the weekend. We all have personal reasons why we keep COVID safe – this campaign acts as a reminder of those.”
The campaign promotes five key actions:
- Get fully vaccinated and have your booster when it’s due
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
- Always wear a face covering in crowded areas
- Ventilate indoor spaces
- Get tested regularly and stay at home if you feel unwell
Not everyone can follow all the guidance, such as those who can’t wear face coverings, but that’s ok. It all helps.
The campaign features a fun and lively family – known as the Garnhams – enjoying living their lives in the way they want to. It’s a deliberately positive approach helping people to learn to live with COVID.
A range of communications activities will be used to promote these messages, including radio adverts, videos, social media and bus station adverts.
Work continues with the Government within the ERA to support Suffolk’s response to COVID, including scoping and planning for targeted vaccinations clinics within our communities. This campaign is part of the ERA effort.
