The Mayor of London has declared a ‘major incident’ due to the rapid spread of Covid-19 and the risk of our hospitals being overwhelmed.
The situation is now critical and we must prevent the virus spreading. I would urge you all to:
- Stay at home – only go out for essential reasons. Check the national restrictions here.
- Meet your support or childcare bubble but only if you are legally permitted to form one. You can find the guidance on this here.
- Remember hands, face, space – wash your hands regularly, cover your face in public and always maintain a two metre distance from others outside your household or support bubble.
- If you have symptoms, self-isolate and book a free NHS test without delay. This helps to prevent Covid-19 spreading in our communities and protects our loved ones. Only leave your home to get tested – travel straight there and back. Find out what self-isolating means here
- Act like you’ve got it. One in three people will have no symptoms of Covid-19 but could be spreading it to others. That’s why it’s so important that we all follow the rules at all times, even if we feel well.
The roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine continues at pace in Croydon, thanks to the fantastic efforts of our local NHS partners. The NHS is prioritising those most at risk, starting with the over-80s and care home staff and residents, and thousands of residents in these groups have now received their vaccine, offering them the best protection against the virus. If you have questions about the vaccine and how it works, you can find out more from the NHS here
Croydon’s vaccine programme will really speed up in the coming weeks with the delivery of the Oxford vaccine to primary care networks across the borough. The NHS will contact you when it is your turn and this could be by phone, text message or a letter from your GP practice. We all have a part to play in supporting our local NHS to deliver the vaccine programme as quick and efficient as possible so please:
- don’t contact the NHS to seek a vaccine, they will contact you
- when they do contact you, please attend your booked appointments
- continue to follow all the guidance to control the virus and save lives.
While this is great progress, the vaccine is only one part of our defence against Covid-19. Infection rates continue to surge in Croydon as elsewhere in London and the situation remains grave, with Croydon University Hospital and our healthcare system at serious risk of being overwhelmed. You can find the latest local data on our Covid-19 webpage. Until the vaccine is widely available, we must all continue to protect ourselves and others by doing everything we can to prevent it spreading.
As we come to the end of the first week of lockdown I want to thank everyone in Croydon for all they are doing to keep our borough safe at this very difficult time.
Last night, we saw a return of Clap for Heroes and we were proud to light up Croydon Town Hall blue to pay tribute to all those who have risked and continue to risk their lives helping others during this pandemic. A huge thank you to our NHS and to all Croydon’s essential workers, including the unsung heroes of this pandemic, from delivery drivers to supermarket workers, every council worker including our teachers and our waste and recycling crews, who go out every day so that we can stay safe.
However, the most important way we can show our gratitude and support for our frontline heroes is to all do our bit during this pandemic – follow the national lockdown guidance, stay at home during lockdown, and if we must go out, always wear a face covering and keep 2m distance from others.
Staying indoors is hard, so please look after yourselves, and each other. Take care of your physical and mental health, and keep active – enjoy your once daily exercise outdoors or try online fitness classes. Stay connected with family and friends online or by phone – this second lockdown is tough on everyone so if you’re feeling low or isolated, do reach out for help. There is information our Covid-19 health and wellbeing pages or visit Thrive LDN, a mental health resource for Londoners of all ages.
Remember, we have a dedicated helpline for residents who need urgent help as a result of COVID-19. Call: 020 8604 7787 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. If you are having trouble getting through, please complete our Coronavirus support form. Depending on your needs, we will arrange a call after you’ve submitted the form to talk through your most urgent needs – such as food, medicine or other requirements.
We’re continuing to work hard to deliver the services you depend on during the pandemic – we’ll always prioritise vital services, so keep up-to-date with all our latest service information on our Covid-19 service updates page
Have a good weekend, stay safe and stay at home,
Councillor Hamida Ali
Leader of the Council
Councillor Hamida Ali, leader of the council
