York Press column – York’s path through coronavirus
April 30, 2020
It is hard to believe it is only 4 weeks since my last column, but I suspect many will agree that the days now risk blurring into each other, as we resolutely plough on, isolated perhaps with close family, but separated from many friends and colleagues.
I want to pass on my sympathy and support to all those residents who are currently battling or recovering from covid-19, and my profoundest condolences to the loved ones of those who have tragically passed away locally.
I also want to salute the dedication of York’s NHS and other essential workers, as they fight coronavirus, and keep our city going.
My own role has also changed, divided between addressing a huge volume of urgent casework from residents, and working via the new ‘hybrid Parliament’ arrangements using video link. I am sure all agree on the importance of Parliament continuing to function during this period, especially given the wide-ranging powers emergency powers assumed by government, and the scale of the looming decisions on how to return our country to normal life.
One important route to normality is testing, both to target the spread of coronavirus, and identify who has already had it, is therefore likely immune, and could return to normal activities. Testing can inform the maintenance and gradual relaxation of lockdown measures, and so will help York get back to normal over time, by allowing for the pinpointing of the impact of covid locally.
I therefore warmly welcome last week’s announcements of a new testing centre for the city at Poppleton Park and Ride, and a huge expansion of nationwide testing to include all York’s essential workers with symptoms and their households. This includes health and care workers, emergency services, delivery drivers, supermarket workers, and other critical infrastructure staff.
Testing is now being offered via mobile testing units, as well as home testing kits sent through the post, and to care homes, in addition to the existing wave of regional drive-thru test centres.
A more troubling development has been City of York Council’s prohibition of mourners from funerals at York Crematorium, now adjusted to allow for a short outdoor service for mourners. I have been active in raising this incredibly painful and distressing decision with the Council leadership, and will continue to make representations that the wishes of grieving families should be respected.
There has also been some disquiet at the time it has taken the Council to pay out emergency government grants to York’s small businesses, which I know cannot come soon enough given the financial hit they are taking. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to hear that our Council has been among the quickest in the country to process these, which I hope indicates they are now on top of this, and local enterprise can start to feel at least some relief.
Full recovery for York’s economy will only come as lockdown is lifted, a move which is likely to only come in careful stages, and can only be done while protecting lives, and according to the evolving scientific evidence.
Unlike the essential decision to enter lockdown, this is an incredibly difficult assessment to make, and probably represents the toughest call for any British government since the Second World War.
We should not underestimate the health risks of prolonged lockdown and economic disruption. Higher unemployment, recession and reduced incomes have an inevitable impact on mental health. Our ability to fund the ongoing NHS fightback, and pay for mass vaccination, testing and shielding of the vulnerable into the future also depends on a strong economy.
To help ensure this, those York businesses which are allowed to remain open, and can continue to operate safely, such as takeaway eateries and drive-thru services, ideally should be running as normal. This will allow government funding for furloughing workers to be concentrated on enterprises that simply cannot operate.
One piece of unalloyed good news has been the opening of Foss Park, York’s new mental health hospital, as a full replacement, and enhancement, of the old provision at Bootham Park. This £40.6 million investment in York’s NHS infrastructure should give local families some reassurance that their unwell loved ones will receive high standard care, and I very much look forward to visiting.
