Hadleigh recorded the third worst tally for Covid-19 related deaths last month, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

Data for the town showed 17 deaths in December were related to the coronavirus taking the tally between March and December 2020, to 45 in Hadleigh.

The statistics put the town is the third highest in England behind the Crabtree and Fir Vale area of Sheffield and the Castleton and Trub area of Rochdale when it comes to coronavirus deaths for 2020 as a whole in what are known as middle super output areas (MSOAs).

MSOAs are the size of a large housing estate or a cluster of small villages - there are 6,791 of them in England.

However, Public Health figures for Suffolk, show Babergh, which includes Hadleigh, has seen a drop in infection rates, along with all other districts in the county.

Vaccinations have also been rolled out at Hadleigh Health Centre and at nearby East Bergholt but the country remains in lockdown to help stop the spread.

Meanwhile, the Suffolk Resilience Forum has issued guidelines on how to prevent Covid-19 entering your home via traders.

Customers and traders are being reminded how to help one another stop the spread of COVID-19, when carrying out work on homes and businesses.

Traders such as plumbers, electricians and gardeners are permitted to carry out work on homes or business premises under lockdown restrictions, but Government guidance and common sense apply.

One in three people may have COVID-19, but not be showing any symptoms. This means that traders or customers could be feeling well, but still unknowingly transmit the disease to each other unless they take sensible precautions.

There are simple steps to follow, to stop the spread of the virus when having work done:

Traders and customers to agree in advance what work will be done and what precautions need to be taken

Traders should not enter a customer's property unless they have to, for example to access the electricity mains supply or carry out necessary internal work

Traders and customers should wear a face mask where appropriate and maintain appropriate social distancing

Make sure that areas of work are clean both before and after, as well as agreeing how rubbish and waste will be removed

The Government has published more detailed information on its website here...