Remember, remember, to celebrate Bonfire Night safely

Tuesday, 3 November 2020 12:34

People are being reminded to celebrate Bonfire Night safely this Thursday (5 November).

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, organised fireworks displays have been cancelled – and people planning to mark Guy Fawkes night at home are being urged to take extra care.

Wolverhampton is already subject to Covid-19 High Alert (Tier 2) restrictions and England is expected to be placed under lockdown on Thursday, meaning people must stay home as much as possible and households cannot mix with others either indoors or in private gardens.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "If you are planning to celebrate Bonfire Night this year, please do so only with members of your own household, and please make sure you follow all the health and safety advice on your fireworks.

"The NHS is already seeing a big increase in the number of Covid-19 patients it is having to treat, and the last thing we want is for people to suffer nasty burns or other injuries which might require medical attention."

Dr Salma Reehana, Chair of the Governing Body, Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group, added: "We want everyone to stay safe this bonfire, so as well as following the latest government advice to reduce the spread of Covid-19, we ask you to please follow the firework health and safety advice and code to avoid any injuries.

“If you do suffer any burns, appropriate first aid must be used to treat any burns or scalds as soon as possible. This will limit the amount of damage to your skin. Information is available on the NHS website, www.nhs.uk, or you can call NHS 111 for urgent advice. If someone has breathed in smoke or fumes, they should also seek medical attention."

The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus. For full details of the High Alert restrictions currently in place in Wolverhampton, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidalert.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include a fever, a new, continuous cough and loss or change to a person’s sense of taste and smell. To book a test, visit www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119. People can get tested within eight days of developing symptoms.