Coronavirus: ‘Thank you’ Peterborough residents following the rules

Many organisations and individuals were already taking steps to try to limit the exposure.

This included voluntary closure of many shops and outlets, or at least a limitation on the services offered, together with strategies to encourage social distancing and sanitisation. I know that many individuals also limited their activities, undertaking home-working, avoiding meeting friends and family, social distancing and, in some cases, self-isolation.

To all of these people and firms, I want to say a heartfelt “thank you”.

Unfortunately, not everyone was willing to exercise restraint, and we not only saw severe shortages of essential items on supermarket shelves, as many purchased far more items than they could reasonably need for their short-term use, but also crowds flocking to shopping centres, parks and beaches, with little regard for precautions to safeguard both themselves and others from infection.

I’m asking these people not to be thoughtless (at best) nor selfish (at worst). There will be plenty of food and other essentials for everyone, and, although I understand that it’s very tempting, especially to those with young families, to get out for rest and relaxation, it is quite possible to have fun in your own home or garden – you don’t have to go out.

As we now know, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has implemented fiercer measures to combat the spread of the virus, and we in the Labour Party, at both local and national level, wholeheartedly support this measure. I don’t for one moment think that this was solely a response to the irresponsible behaviour, although this may have been the deciding factor on Monday.

The simple truth is that we have the advantage seeing how Covid-19 has progressed in other European countries, and so we can forecast the anticipated rise in cases and the impact on the NHS. What we are doing now will, we hope, “flatten the curve” so that the impact on the NHS resources will come by degrees rather than as a sudden spike, which would leave the NHS unable to cope with the demand for care.

Do you want to see patients lying on the floor in hospital corridors? I certainly don’t.

I urge you all to comply with the current rules and not oblige the Government to bring in even more stringent measures. Supermarkets and corner shops remain open and most of them are imposing some control on the most essential items by limiting the number per customer.

It is unlikely that supplies will run out altogether, so please, I beg you, don’t try to circumvent these rules, or, as has happened in one or two other areas, try to shop at times which are reserved for the elderly, the vulnerable or for our hard-pressed NHS workers (unless of course you fall into one of these categories).

There is plenty of help available, not least from your local council. Log on to www.peterborough.gov.uk/healthcare/public-health/coronavirus/covid-19-coordination-hub-your-community-needs-you.

You’ll find all the details there of our Co-ordination Hub, set up as part of a network across the country at the request of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Its purpose is to focus on providing access to food, medicines and other supplies for everyone but particularly those in vulnerable sectors, and also to manage and co-ordinate the resources and services of those who can offer help, working alongside existing voluntary and community groups.

So, if you are able to offer your skills, expertise and time to help those in need, please do register on this site.

What about businesses? The new measures will have forced many to close and this is particularly hard on those businesses that offer services that can only be delivered hands-on, or which offer products which do not lend themselves to online selling.

I know that help is at hand to pay part of the salaries of employees, but I’m thinking of the business proprietors themselves, many of whom are self-employed or directors and shareholders in a limited company. A number of measures have been announced, such as a moratorium on VAT payments, and we await more details of help for this sector.

To them I say: “You’re not alone.” Advice and information is available about loans, grants and other support and guidance. Have a look at the following:

. Government Business Support on www.business support-gov.uk/coronavirus-business- support

. Federation of Small Businesses on www.fsb.org.uk

. Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-employed on www.ipse.co.uk.

And finally, once again I applaud the work of the NHS and other care professionals who are all working, many at considerable personal risk, to care for the rest of us. Don’t make their task any harder. I also want to thank our staff at the council. They have done a sterling job so far and I am nothing but impressed with their overall response.

Please stay safe - for all our sakes.