England cricketer Chris Woakes throws weight behind Warwickshire County Council’s 'Let’s do the right thing’ campaign to beat Covid-19

In his appeal to residents, Chris, who was part of the England cricket squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup, is appealing for people to continue to work together to beat the pandemic.

By taking precautions like wearing a face covering and washing hands regularly, Warwickshire residents won’t be on the backfoot and can help to reduce the transmission of the virus.

The campaign has been shared across the county, and its artwork borrowed by other authorities across England, with a strand of key messages advising on ‘doing the right thing’ to reduce the spread of the virus and help to keep communities safer.

While the campaign has already been successful in reaching out widely among Warwickshire’s communities, it has now received a huge boost with the backing of local and national cricketing superstar, Chris Woakes.

In his video message, which has been published on Warwickshire County Council’s social media accounts and YouTube channel see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w26qooyQhTY), Chris says:

“My passion is sport and, like so many, this year the pandemic has had a huge impact on the things we love.

“For me, the priority must be to keep myself, my family and my team-mates safe, which is why I’m happy to be supporting the ‘Let’s do the right thing for Warwickshire’ campaign, alongside Warwickshire County Council.”

“Now more than ever, we need to work together as a team, to beat this pandemic.

“So, wear a face covering wherever you can, wash your hands regularly, and keep a social distance to avoid spreading the virus.”

Affectionately known as Woakesy in the cricketing community and to his fans, Chris is now widely rated as one of the best all-rounders and is at the heart of England’s game planning.

When his England commitments allow, Chris also plays for Warwickshire County Cricket Club and is a great sporting ambassador for county and country. He’s been quoted as saying “I’ve been at Warwickshire since the age of ten and it’s where I’ll always want to be.”

Chris concludes his video message to Warwickshire cricket fans and the wider community by saying, “Thank you all, Merry Christmas, and keep safe.”

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “I would like to thank Chris for supporting the ‘Let’s do the right thing’ campaign for Warwickshire at this crucial time, it just shows what a team player he is.

“Chris has a lot of followers among the age group in which transmission rates are highest, so he will be an invaluable ally to us in reaching that group.

“Elite sportsmen like Chris know all about following the rules to get the best outcome for their team, their county and their country, so we hope his message will encourage people to keep following the guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus, so we can all have a better 2021.”

Over the festive period, 23rd – 27th December, government guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19 will be relaxed, allowing up to three households to create a Christmas bubble. This means that people can get together in private homes and gardens and places of worship.

Anyone wishing to meet with others outside these Christmas bubbles must strictly adhere to the local Tier restrictions.

The best way to avoid the virus is to avoid contact but if people plan on mixing, there are things they can do now to minimise risks of catching or transmitting the virus or having to self-isolate later over the festive period.

There are simple things people can do to protect themselves and their loved ones, such as:

Staying at home as much as possible in this two weeks before Christmas

*Wearing a face covering in all public spaces both inside and in busy outdoor spaces

*Keeping at least 2 metres away from people not from your household

*Continuing to regularly wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser

*People should also remain vigilant to COVID-19 symptoms and anyone with a new continuous cough, a high temperature or changed sense of taste or smell must self-isolate and book a test by calling 119 or online at nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Close contacts of people who test positive will also need to self-isolate for 10 days after the last contact.