'Do the right thing:' Doncaster doctor's warning as town's coronavirus rate rises

A leading Doncaster doctor has urged people to ‘do the right thing’ as coronavirus rates in the town rise and with two Covid-19 deaths in the last week.
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GP and Chair of Doncaster CCG Dr David Crichton has urged people in the town to follow the rules in place to halt the spread of coronavirus in the town.

He said: “When the lockdown was introduced in March, we were told to stay at home, to protect the NHS and to save lives.

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"These changes required us all to make big sacrifices as we adapted our lives to help each other in the fight against the virus.

Dr David Crichton.Dr David Crichton.
Dr David Crichton.

"Here in Doncaster, the majority of people followed the guidance and we were able to bring the infection rate right down. Even when restrictions were eased in July and August, our collective efforts helped to keep the infection rates low, one of the lowest in the country in fact.

“Over recent weeks however, the infection rate has started to rise again across the whole country as the virus has started to take hold.

"Doncaster is no exception and our rate has increased from a low of 3.2 per 100,000 population at the beginning of September to 29.0 per 100,000 now. The number of people being treated with coronavirus in Doncaster Royal Infirmary has started to rise again and sadly we have seen two deaths in the last week.

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"I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of our personal responsibilities and of the actions we must all take to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, to protect the vulnerable and to reduce the risk of more stringent restrictions being introduced in a local lockdown.

“We face a number of risks if we don’t follow the rules. There is a big health risk that you could contract the virus yourself and spread it to loved ones. There is also a risk that you could be fined for not following the rules. And if the infection rate continues to rise, there is a risk that additional restrictions will be introduced by the Government. So please, remember the basics.”

HANDS – Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds.

FACE – Wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.

SPACE – Stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place.

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"And if you have symptoms of the coronavirus, you MUST self-isolate immediately for 10 days. Self-isolation is not the same as social distancing. If you are self-isolating because you have symptoms, you must not leave your home, do not go to the shops, do not leave your house/garden to exercise and do not let anyone visit your home.

"Do the right thing; protect yourself, your loved ones and your friends.

“I firmly believe that if we all pull together, like we did before, and if we all follow the rules, we can suppress the virus over this difficult winter period and keep ourselves and our families safe.”