Urgent warning to Peterborough residents as COVID spreads in city at 'fastest rate' since first lockdown

Dr Robin urged city residents to only leave home for essential reasons to reduce the spread and ease pressure on vital medical services.

Dr Robin said: "Coronavirus has been spreading across Peterborough at the fastest rate we've seen since the first lockdown.

"Currently we are seeing more than 200 people per 100,000 population infected with the virus in Peterborough.

"This is right across the city and surrounding areas and affecting all age groups. Most people will have caught the virus during the week before the lockdown on November 5.

"All of this means that there is increased pressure on our health service and hospitals because some of the people catching the virus are in the older age group who are more likely to become severely ill.

"This affects all of us, not just the people who catch COVID because many people become ill with various illnesses or are dealing with long term conditions. If there is too much pressure on the local NHS from coronavirus then it is hard to provide services quickly for other people who need them.

"So it is vital that we take action now during the national lockdown to reduce our transmission of COVID locally in Peterborough.

"I can't stress enough the need to reduce your contact with people from other households to the absolute minimum at this time.

"This is the main way in which the virus is passed on, through contact with households and mixing with other people, so this really is important. Only leave home for essential reasons - to go to school, college or work if you can't work from home, for health or medical reasons, including getting exercise to stay well, for safety reasons, to help someone vulnerable, or to do essential shopping for food or other goods.

"We have been successful before in our Peterborough communities at bringing down rates of coronavirus so by doing the right thing now we can achieve this again."