The Euro 2020 final is likely to have sparked another wave of infections at a time when Covid rates in and around Watford are at its highest for months.
Pubs, bars, and homes across the town will have been filled with fans yesterday as England suffered penalty-shootout heartache at Wembley Stadium.
The European Championships, along with visits to shops and supermarkets, have been linked to the rise in cases in Hertfordshire, according to the county council.
Over the last couple of weeks, the cases have predominantly involved younger age groups – those in their late teens and early 20s, but there are signs of infections spreading at a faster rate now to those in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s.
In July, there have been at least 1,046 cases across Watford, Three Rivers, and Hertsmere and some neighbourhoods have been more affected than others.
Public Health England data shows five areas in Watford which recorded the most cases in the seven days to July 6 were Nascot Wood (38 cases) Woodside, Oxhey, and Central Watford (all 28) and Cassiobury with 26.
West Watford recorded 25 cases.
In the district of Three Rivers, the hotspots were Abbots Langley (34), Rickmansworth West (32), Chorleywood (29), Leavesden (28) and Mill End & Maple Cross with 27.
In Hertsmere, Radlett recorded 34 cases while there were 24 each in Bushey Central and Bushey Heath.
While the data shows cases are high in some areas with high vaccination uptake like Chorleywood, Cassiobury, and Bushey, people are being encouraged to take the jab because of its impact on reducing serious illness in people.
Despite the rise in cases, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust was caring for 14 Covid patients as of July 6, while the trust has not recorded a Covid death since April 25, according to NHS England figures.
England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, has also warned people about the threat of Long Covid. Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics suggested 385,000 people in the UK had experienced long Covid lasting for at least a year.
Anyone over 18 is eligible for their first jab and Watford town hall is running a walk-in clinic all week.
Related: Where you can get a Covid vaccine in Watford, South Oxhey, St Albans, and Hemel Hempstead
Ahead of the weekend, and an expected release of further restrictions on July 19, Hertfordshire’s director of public health, Jim McManus, said: "While many people will be excited at the prospect of restrictions being lifted on 19 July, others will be fearful or apprehensive. We all need to be kind to each other as we move into this next phase.
"The virus has not gone away, in fact cases are rising and it’s important to recognise that everyone’s circumstances are different and what feels comfortable to one person might not feel that way to another."
He added: "The most important thing right now is for us all to keep doing the things which stop infection. Get vaccinated if you are 18 or over, give people space, wear face coverings in crowded indoor areas, ventilate your workplaces and social spaces, and if you have symptoms get tested and self-isolate. These measures have kept us safe and will keep us safe still.
"Covid-19 won’t end when the rules change, and we need to keep being sensible – as almost everyone has been for the last 15 months – and keep each other safe.
"Let’s keep looking out for one another and recognise that we’re all going to be moving forward at our own pace."
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