Health chiefs urge Northumberland residents to 'double down' on efforts to combat Covid

This comes after England was plunged into Plan B restrictions due to the worrying Omicron Covid-19 variant.

During a press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson reintroduced guidance to work from home from Monday in a bid to reduce contact in the workplace.

From this Friday, face mask guidance has also been extended to include most public indoor venues.

The controversial vaccine passports have also been brought in under Plan B restrictions.

The NHS Covid pass will be mandatory for entry into nightclubs and venues where large crowds gather however a “negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient”.

In a statement released on Thursday, North East directors of public health, including Northumberland’s Liz Morgan, said that everyone should “double down” on measures to tackle the virus.

This means “taking care to give each other space, washing hands regularly, keeping indoor spaces ventilated, getting tested and self-isolating where required.”

The directors also urged everyone to get up to date on their vaccinations.

“To anyone who is yet to be vaccinated, or is overdue a second or third/booster dose, we would urge you to make sure you are fully protected at the earliest opportunity,” they said.

The directors also paid tribute to how communities in the North East “rallied round” to keep each other safe.

They added: ” Since the start of the pandemic our communities have rallied round one another and worked tirelessly to keep people safe. Once more we ask that everyone plays their part and together we will overcome this latest challenge.”