Covid has been among the greatest challenges that our country has faced over the past hundred years, and it has required a monumental effort from us all to protect the NHS and save lives.

With the vaccination programme in full swing however, and cases rates relatively low, it is time for cautious optimism – and that’s why I was delighted to hear the Public Health team here in Norfolk tell us MPs this morning that they believe we are on track for the June 21st ‘Roadmap out of Lockdown’ target.

We must continue to be vigilant, but this is promising news indeed.

The Public Health team here have done a fantastic job to monitor case rates and respond to outbreaks over the past year or so, and deserve high praise indeed. Without them and ALL of the wonderful frontline health and care staff in the county, things could have been much, much worse.