Hands, face, space remains at the Countess of Chester despite restrictions easing in England

Hands, face, space remains in place at the Countess of Chester despite Covid restrictions easing in England on Monday.

NHS Patients, staff and visitors in England must continue to wear face coverings in healthcare settings.

England’s Chief Nurse has reminded the public that everyone accessing or visiting healthcare settings must continue to wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules.

However, Public Health England’s infection prevention control guidelines and hospital visiting guidance are set to remain in place for all staff and visitors.

That means NHS visitor guidance will stay in place across all health services including hospitals, GP practices, dental practices, optometrists and pharmacies to ensure patients and staff are protected.

Staff, patients and visitors will also be expected to continue to follow social distancing rules when visiting any care setting as well as using face coverings, mask and other personal protection equipment.

A spokesperson for the Countess of Chester Hospital said: “During the pandemic, infection prevention and control measures have helped to keep hospital patients and staff safe.”

“During this time, patients and visitors have had to wash their hands, wear face masks and maintain a social distance of 2m.”

“Although the Government confirmed that from Monday 19 July, it will no longer be a legal requirement to wear a mask, keeping our patients safe remains our priority. For this reason, there will not be any changes to safety measures at the Countess of Chester Hospital or Ellesmere Port Hospital.”

“These safety measures minimise the risk to vulnerable patients and staff and help people feel more confident about coming to our hospitals to receive care.”

“Everyone accessing our services or visiting our hospitals must wash their hands regularly, wear a face mask and practice social distancing.”

Visiting arrangements remain unchanged and you can read about them here.

Read more about NHS arrangements for attending or visiting hospitals and other healthcare settings from Monday 19 July here.