The Frome Medical Practice has issued a statement asking that their patients remain extremely careful and vigilant against the risks of spreading the coronavirus.

The senior partner at the practice is Dr Helen Kingston.

'Over the last few days the government has indicated some relaxation of the lockdown rules and guidelines,' says Dr Kingston. 'However welcome this news may be to many families, it remains even more important that we all remain vigilant.

What should not be forgotten is that there are still cases of infection in Frome and its surrounding villages, albeit at lower levels than seen in London, the Midlands and the North East. Whilst we may now be permitted to meet in small numbers in the garden, what this does not mean is that COVID-19 has gone away. It most definitely has not.'

'It is therefore even more important that we now continue with our careful precautions such as hand washing and social distancing,' adds Dr Kingston. 'We must also continue to observe self-isolation if we or a household member have symptoms of a new cough, a fever or a loss of taste or smell.'

For the last two weeks any patient being asked to make a personal visit to the practice has been asked to wear a face covering, whether this be a scarf, homemade mask or even a bandana.

'The reason why we introduced this condition (which has received almost 100% support from our own patients) is that by wearing a facial covering, you then help to reduce the risk of transmitting the infection,' says Dr Kingston. 'My colleagues and I would go even further in this regard. Our advice to patients now is to also wear a face covering when they are out and about generally. Anything that reduces infection has to be worth the effort.'

'I would like to take this opportunity of thanking our patients for their incredible support,' concludes Dr Kingston. 'From the direct feedback that we receive from our own patients, I know that many remain worried and concerned. I fully understand this, which is why it is so important that we must continue to be so vigilant and cautious.

As a community we can protect each other if we maintain our guard. These last 9 weeks have been long and hard for many of us but we need to maintain our efforts to prevent any COVID-19 resurgence as it is still present in our community. Thank you to everyone for helping to keep us all safe.'