With a bank holiday coming up and coronavirus restrictions eased, many people may consider heading out to festivals to enjoy themselves.

Its great that large gatherings and festivals can be restarted following more than a year of uncertainty, but it is important to remember that we are still in the midst of a pandemic.

But while organisers will do their best to have as many safety measures as possible, we should all remember our duty to do our bit to prevent the spread of infection.

Hertfordshire’s director of public health Jim McManus says being double vaccinated, washing your hands regularly and wearing a mask indoors if it is crowded will all help in keeping yourself and other safe.

Read more: Hertfordshire health boss urges caution for festival-goers

Read more: The proportion of 15-19-year-olds in Hertfordshire who have had a Covid jab

“We know that because people who’ve done it haven’t gotten infected, I think it’s a case of trying to be safe, and trying to be sensible,” he said.

He added that festival goers should not just rely on the measures put in place by organisers – such as mandatory lateral flow tests – and continue to be as cautious as possible.

And Mr McManus said that although levels had since "plateaued" since July, the virus was still "very happily circulating" – and is "efficiently" finding the unvaccinated, with younger adults now at greatest risk of infection.

Young people will account for most of those in the audience at festivals, but who may have vulnerable family members or relatives.

None of us knows who may be further down a chain of infection, so it is our duty to see that we do not get infected, or that we self-isolate to make sure it goes no further than us.

So if you are heading out to a festival or to somewhere crowded this bank holiday, remember we should still do all we can to ensure we minimise the spread of the virus.