A HUSBAND who lost his ‘soulmate’ to Covid has pleaded with the public to take the pandemic seriously.

Tracey Jones, 50, from Bicester passed away on January 25 after spending eleven days on a ventilator at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

ALSO READ: Bicester Poundland shuts for the day as tribute to worker who died

Her husband Neil Jones said his life will ‘never be the same again’ without her and urges people to follow the Government's restrictions and guidelines to keep safe.

He said: “It makes me so mad that some people are still not taking this virus seriously. Unfortunately, myself, Steven [his son] and all of Tracey’s family and friends have now seen the real consequences of what this disease can do.

“It’s too late for us and I just hope nobody else has to go through what we have had to endure over the past few weeks. Please wear a mask when you visit a store or anywhere else.

“It’s not just to protect yourself but the staff, other people and the NHS. Everyone is waiting for the day when we’re all vaccinated and we can begin to get our lives back together again but sadly, our life will never be the same again.”

Mrs Jones was a valued member of staff at Poundland in Sheep Street and the team there have put up a plaque in her memory in the store.

Bicester Advertiser: Tracey Jones plaque

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The shop also closed as a mark of respect on the day of her funeral last month to enable staff to say their final farewells as the cortege left Keble Road.

Her co-workers then went back to the store to attend the live webcast of the service.

Mr Jones, who is 57, said: “I am so moved by what Poundland have done for myself and my son. They have been so caring and have put their staff’s feelings first rather than profit.”

A photo of Mrs Jones was put in the shop window and tributes flooded in on Facebook. Resident Zoe Boreham said: "Always remember her smiling in store, she always looked like she enjoyed being at her job."

Bicester Advertiser:

When Mrs Jones was not working part-time, she would be caring for her 22-year-old special-needs son, Steven.

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Mr Jones added: “She loved her work at Poundland and made many friends with the staff and customers. She was well liked by all. I have lost a beautiful wife and soulmate and Steven has lost a brilliant mother."

In the latest statistics, one new death was recorded on Tuesday bringing the total number of people in Cherwell who have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test to 189.

The number of deaths in the district where Covid-19 is recorded on a death certificate is 238, reported up to March 5.

As of Tuesday, there has been 8,909 coronavirus cases in Cherwell since the start of the pandemic. The weekly rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 reported up to March 11 in the district is 27.2.

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