MAYOR: IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANS FOR WHAT COMES NEXT

Published 20 November 2020 at 12:00am

At the mid-way point in the national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, Mayor Dan Jarvis said:

“We are now a little over halfway through the COVID lockdown. As the end of this difficult period comes into view, we have more reasons than ever to be hopeful that we are in sight of the end of the wider pandemic as well.

“But I want to caution everyone in South Yorkshire: positive reports that new vaccines may be on their way do not make this disease any less dangerous here and now. Infection rates are starting to drop, but they are still very high, and our hospitals are still under great pressure. If we let our guard down too early, we will suffer needless illnesses and deaths.

“Until these vaccines have been proven safe and administered across the country, we have to hold the line – and I’m relying on everyone in South Yorkshire to play their part  That means washing your hands, following social distancing rules, and getting tested as soon as you have any COVID symptoms.

“More than ever, we are depending on your discipline, perseverance, and concern for your community. I know how hard it is to maintain that after so long, but I hope the light at the end of the tunnel makes it a little easier.

“There are some other reasons for hope. The lockdown appears to be working: rates in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham have come down significantly from their peak in late October. That decline began when we were under Tier 3 restrictions but it has continued since the national lockdown was imposed.

“South Yorkshire will also be taking part in a pilot programme to use rapid testing methods to improve detection and control of COVID in high risk areas like care homes and universities. We hope this will accelerate the reduction in cases.

“As the end of the national lockdown approaches, it is critical that the government plan for what comes next. The current rates of infections and hospitalisations means some restrictions are likely to remain in place South Yorkshire after December 2^nd, but the government must fix the issues which so badly undermined the Tiered response to COVID in the past.

“The ongoing problems with national test and trace systems, including delays in giving our local public health officers access to test results, must be resolved, full support provided for local test and trace, and we need full and fair support of businesses and individuals affected by ongoing restrictions, whatever Tier level we are in. There must be clear and consistent benchmarks for going into and coming out of each Tier, and like the restrictions themselves, they must be based on clearly communicated, credible science.

“There is great reason to hope the end is in sight, even if we are not there yet. We must not throw away the opportunity which this lockdown has bought us at such a high price, or the great sacrifices we have made throughout this difficult year. “