Masks and social distancing measure to stay in hospitals for the 'foreseeable future'
Covid-19 safety measure are set to continue at hospitals, GP practices and other NHS buildings across the Black Country and West Birmingham.
Local health chiefs are planning to keep the measures in place for the foreseeable future.
The Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group has urged people to continue following the rules to protect patients and staff.
The decision has been made at national level to ensure the most vulnerable patients continue to be safe when in the care of the NHS while reducing staff sickness and its impact.
When attending any healthcare setting in the area, as a patient or visitor, people are asked to continue to wear a face covering indoors, use the hand gel provided and maintain social distancing.
Meanwhile, patients are encouraged to attend face-to-face appointments alone if possible, and frontline services such as GP practices will continue to offer virtual and phone appointments in the first instance.
Dr Salma Reehana, local GP and hair of Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "Even though restrictions are lifting in everyday life, and our vaccination programme has made huge inroads in reducing the spread and severity of Covid-19, it’s important to remember that the virus has not gone away.
"Our main priority is always the safety of our patients and staff. People who are clinically vulnerable or can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons, are still at risk from Covid-19, so it’s important that we do all we can to keep them safe.
"If our staff catch the virus and must stay off work, this will also have an impact on the services we can provide and could put lives at risk.
"We are asking people to please carry on supporting us by following Covid-safe measures, such as mask-wearing, social distancing and good hand hygiene, when accessing the NHS, so we can continue to protect our vital services, the patients using them and the staff who provide them."
