People urged to follow Covid-19 rules during build up to Christmas

People are being urged to follow the latest public health advice and reduce unnecessary social interactions during the build up to Christmas.

Over the past seven days Wiltshire Police has seen strong compliance with the current Tier 2 restrictions in Swindon and Wiltshire.

The official figures, as well as the anecdotal evidence from police officers and police community support officers working out in our communities, suggests that the vast majority of people are behaving responsibly and cautiously.

Between 07/12 and 13/12 Wiltshire Police:

• Issued zero FPNs. Since the beginning of the pandemic we have issued 246 FPNs.
• Issued 15 verbal warnings to members of the public.
• Logged 102 reports of potential breaches of the restrictions, which were reported either over the phone or online.
• Recorded three Covid-related crimes and nine Covid-related incidents.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills said everybody’s focus should be on following the public health guidance on reducing social interactions during the build up to Christmas.

He said: "At the moment both Wiltshire and Swindon remain in Tier 2 restrictions and, although we know the Government will be reviewing the Tiers later this week, we do not know what the situation will be locally.

"However, no matter what Government announces, our local public health officials have made it clear that we need to remain cautious and vigilant as we approach Christmas.

"We know that we will be allowed to form new bubbles over the festive period, but I would urge everyone to listen to the experts and do everything they can to avoid unnecessary contact during the run up to Christmas. It is critical that people follow the basics of hands, space and face to limit the risk of the spread of the virus."

Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson added: "We have seen very high levels of compliance across Swindon and Wiltshire throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and it seems that these latest weekly figures really do reflect that.

"We have all seen the alarming headlines from other parts of the world and the importance of sticking to the current restrictions to protect the most vulnerable seems to have been accepted by the vast majority of the public.

"Whilst the news about the vaccine has shown us the light at the end of the tunnel, we need to stay focused on the bigger picture and do everything we can to keep everyone safe while we wait for the vaccine to be rolled out nationwide."