RESIDENTS should continue to make “sensible decisions” to protect themselves and others from spreading covid, the council has advised.

Brighton and Hove reported more than 2,500 new cases of covid in the last full week of March, with a weekly rate of infection of 869.6 per 100,000 residents - higher than the average for England, but below the average for the southeast.

Alistair Hill, director of public health at Brighton and Hove City Council, said people should remember that the end to covid restrictions does not signal an end to the pandemic.

He said: “While the restrictions are now removed and most testing reduced, it’s still in our hands to make sensible decisions to protect not just ourselves but to think of others and protect those around us too, particularly those who are most at risk.”

Although the city has seen high rates of cases in recent weeks, Mr Hill said vaccinations and antiviral treatments have helped provide stronger protection against contracting covid.

“Vaccines remain our best defence against the virus,” he said.

“By getting all the vaccinations, you are eligible for you can boost your own protection and in turn help reduce the chances of spreading it to friends, family and those that are more vulnerable.”

He also thanked “everyone who has worked tirelessly to keep people safe over the last two years”, and people who have been vaccinated, tested, and followed government advice and changed the way they live in order to protect themselves and others.

Testing provision has been focused on people most at risk from the virus, with free testing remaining available to specific groups including people at the highest risk of serious illness, as well as some NHS and care staff.