News Theme: Coronavirus

People are being advised to continue taking the simple steps taken during the pandemic to help us live safely with the virus as testing ends and Oxfordshire moves into next phase of COVID response.

The researchers believe their work could help compress vaccine development timelines to 100 days from pathogen identification to mass production and distribution.

Coronavirus cases have risen steeply across Oxfordshire, and people in the county are being urged to take extra care during the festive period to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Over the last five weeks, the city has had additional resources to tackle high case numbers including five walk-in PCR test sites that offered symptom-free testing.

Although cases in the city are now falling, there has been a 21% rise in cases in those aged between 30 and 59. Those aged 18 to 29 still make up more than half of cases overall.

Almost all restrictions on social contact end in Oxfordshire as the country moves into the final stage of easing lockdown restrictions in the so called ‘Freedom Day’.

In a collective statement, the Oxford Cultural Partnership are encouraging visitors to wear face-coverings and practice social distancing when visiting Oxford’s culture venues.

The decision to widen the availability of testing beyond the 18 to 29 year-old age group was taken after there was a 21 per cent increase in cases in those aged 30 to 59 in the last week.

Oxford is to receive increased testing and help to maximise vaccine uptake, and people are advised to be cautious about non-essential travel in and out of the city.

At 629 per 100,000 population, the case rates in the city is over two and a half times the national average and at a similar level to what it was in the previous peak in January.