Former Squeeze musician and Man of Kent, Jools Holland, is urging everyone in the county to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
The pianist and bandleader has backed KCC’s Don’t be the Reason campaign by recording a series of short videos which encourage people across Kent to play their part in protecting communities and loved ones.
Jools, who is also a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, said “Kent’s greatest strength is the people who live here, and it’s never been more important than it is now to pull together and do everything we can to beat this virus – together. That’s why I was very keen to add my support to the Don’t be the Reason campaign.
“I know it isn’t easy, but the simple fact is that we all need to make a massive effort to stay inside our homes and practice social distancing. It’s also vital that, even if you have no symptoms, you get a test.
You can be carrying the virus without even knowing it and finding that out could massively reduce COVID-19 cases in Kent.
Just following these simple guidelines will save lives and protect people out in the communities of Kent and those we love.”
More than 160,000 symptom free tests have now been carried out at Kent’s 24 symptom free testing sites.
The testing will find people who don’t currently have symptoms, who may be unknowingly spreading the virus in the community and the sites are part of a rolling programme to help reduce the rates of transmission in Kent.
KCC Cabinet Member for Communications, Engagement and People, Shellina Prendergast, said “I am so grateful to Jools Holland for adding his voice to this vitally important campaign, which reminds residents that they play a huge role in lowering COVID-19 infection levels in Kent.
“We are doing everything we can to control the virus and it is more important than ever that we keep this up. If we work together and follow the simple guidelines – Hands Face Space – we can keep each other safe.
“Everyone without symptoms should get tested every 2 weeks, especially if you’re leaving the house for a necessary reason, such as going to work or shopping for essentials. Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 have no symptoms, so I urge everyone to get tested regularly to make sure you are not unknowingly spreading the virus.”
To encourage more people to come forward for symptom free testing, KCC is also working with GPs to encourage registered patients aged 16 and over to book a symptom free test.
More than 920 thousand people who have signed up to the MyGP app will soon receive a text explaining how they can book a test online.
Remember, if you have symptoms you should NOT attend one of our symptom-free testing sites but instead book a PCR test https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test