This time last week the whole nation was riding the crest of a wave as we eagerly looked forward to seeing England compete in their first major football championship final for 55 years.

Sadly, it was not to be but I think we can all be rightly proud of Gareth Southgate’s players for getting so far and lifting the country’s spirits following an extremely difficult period during the pandemic.

This young team did us proud in a highly pressurised environment and have made us all hopeful of great success in the coming years.

Now as we approach what was initially dubbed ‘Freedom Day’ next Monday, the third wave forecast by the Government is underway, which could have a very big impact on our lives over the next few months.

I am of course talking about the recent surge in Covid-19 rates, which are going up across the country just at the point that restrictions are set to be lifted.

Anyone who saw the Prime Minister’s press conference on Monday will have noticed a more sombre tone in the messaging as he stressed that the pandemic is far from over.

With the lifting of restrictions people will inevitably see it as a sign that life is back to normal, but the infection rates paint a very different picture.

Just a few weeks ago, Swindon was faring well with one of the lowest infection rates in the South West and well below the national average.

But, as we have seen throughout the pandemic, infection rates can change very quickly and, in line with the rest of the country, the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 here has tripled in a couple of weeks. The third wave of the pandemic is underway.

As I type, Swindon’s Covid-19 infection rate is 238.2 per 100,000 of the population (that’s 531 cases in the past seven days). We are still below the national average of 333.7 per 100,000 but the figures are only going one way – up.

The positive news is that a high proportion of people in Swindon have had both doses of the vaccine, but while that will protect the majority of people from becoming seriously ill with the virus, younger members of our community who have not had the jab are still at risk.

The Great Western Hospital has also seen an increase in the number of patients admitted with Covid-19 over the past week.

The key word the Government is keen to stress is caution. Although many of the legal restrictions that it has imposed through the pandemic will be lifted on July 19, important guidance will remain in place that we each need to observe to protect ourselves and others.

The Government expects and recommends that we wear face coverings in crowded areas such as on public transport that we continue to let fresh air into our homes and businesses and we minimise the number, proximity and duration of social contacts. We can all enjoy our new-found freedom, but the virus is here to stay and it us up to all of us in Swindon to continue to play our part.