We are now seeing more and more cases of Omicron in our city ? with numbers rapidly increasing daily. I am extremely worried about this and expect to soon see a serious wave of this new variant of Covid sweeping across Nottingham.

This will mean more infections, more illness and, sadly, more deaths from the virus.

I am concerned for the health and wellbeing of every citizen and so I need to be clear: you must protect yourself from Omicron. If you have had Covid before it will likely have been one of the earlier variants and may NOT give you immunity against Omicron. There is currently no herd immunity against this new variant.

Doing nothing is not an option. You have three actions available to you:

1. Protect yourself from Omicron by getting vaccinated
2. Reduce your chance of catching Omicron by limiting your social contact
3. If you do have to meet, take precautions (masks, meet outdoors where possible, test first)

I know this is not what people want to hear ahead of Christmas, but please think carefully before you go out to a party or gathering and decide: is it essential? Is it worth the risk of catching Covid?

When you do need to meet people, try to do it outdoors or in well-ventilated areas; wear a mask; and take a lateral flow test before you go to be confident you are Covid-free. Nottingham has lots lovely parks where we can wrap up warm and meet our loved ones.

Remember: The best advice is to be vaccinated. Book your Covid vaccination right now. Third ?booster? jabs will offer the best protection against Omicron, but if you have yet to be vaccinated you can still book a first dose. Every little bit of protection will help.

Thousands of extra vaccination appointments are being made available. Book your vaccine online to pick your best day, time and location: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/. If you struggle with the booking system, please call the NHS on 119.

From Monday, you can also walk-in without appointment to a new vaccination site at Victoria Health Centre in the city as well as Richard Herrod Leisure Centre on the city border in Carlton. These will be open from 1-5pm from Monday and then 9am-5pm from Tuesday ? although, please be prepared to queue.

I urge you to take care of yourself against this new wave of Covid. Please take action today to stay safe.

Nottingham schools and academies have now broken up for Christmas and I want to say a huge well-done to all the children, teachers, support staff and everyone else who have worked so hard this term during another difficult few months. It?s not been an easy time for our young people. Covid has brought a lot of disruption to their education and to their social lives. It?s to their credit that they have followed the rules to keep themselves, their schools and their families safe.

The Covid situation remains uncertain but I know that no matter what happens, our schools will all continue to rise to whatever challenges may come our way. I hope that everyone involved in our schools has a well-deserved rest this Christmas.

After almost 25 successful years at the helm of Nottingham?s premier entertainment venue, Mich Stevenson OBE DL is stepping down as Chairman of the National Ice Centre and Motorpoint Arena Nottingham. Mich has overseen the growth of the organisation that now boosts the local economy by ?40m a year and has hosted some amazing sporting events, including at international level.

I would like to thank Mich for his passion and devotion to the National Ice Centre, from its concept to what it is now ? one of the top 100 arenas in the world attracting the biggest international artists, and staging major skating and ice hockey events.