BAME residents urged to stay safe

HOUNSLOW councillors have reached out to their black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities to share their support during the coronavirus pandemic.

The initiative spearheaded by councillor Hanif Khan, who is also the authority’s transport boss, was prompted by findings that ethnic minorities have been disproportionately hit by the deadly virus.

“What hit me was the first 10 doctors that died were from BAME background. For me that really struck a chord - it is happening, why is it happening? And what is our duty of care?” cllr Khan said.

“Our BAME Community in Hounslow not only work in NHS and social care but in transport, as bus drivers, taxi drivers, shop keepers, in supermarkets, all of which are necessary services to be provided in the lockdown”.

“To the BAME community, please stay at home, only go out for emergencies, protect yourself and loved ones”.

The Labour member received video messages from 29 colleagues which were put into a four-minute Youtube clip to show solidarity with the communities that are estimated to make up at least 51 per cent of the borough’s population.

Councillors also conveyed the message in multiple languages including English, Punjabi, Nepalese, Hindi and Urdu.

Heston Central’s councillor,

A West London man has pleaded guilty after spitting at a bus driver and police officer.

William Cawley, 23, from Grove Lane in Uxbridge, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault at court on Wednesday.

Uxbridge Magistrates Court was told that at 5.10pm on Monday, April 20, Cawley entered a Transport for London bus through the wrong door at Uxbridge bus station.

When he was informed of this by the driver, and told to use the middle door, he became aggressive and spat at the driver.

Nearby police officers were informed of the incident and the identified Cawley. He ran away but was detained in Cocks Yard after being pursued on foot.

Harleen Atwal Hear, told viewers: “I suffer from multiple sclerosis and autoimmune disease so it’s really important that I stay in, have a healthy diet and I exercise, but more importantly only go out for essentials.”

Cllr Ajmer Grewal, representing Hounslow Central, added: “Please remember you’re not stuck at home, you’re safe at home.”

And Guy Lambert, the council’s environment and highways chief, said: “Statistics show that you’re more at risk than other people, so be careful out there, we need you.”

Salman Shaheen, an Isleworth councillor, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the disease’s impact on the BAME community was a public health emergency and is not being debated “with enough seriousness”.

Paying tribute to Dr Adil El Tayar, the first working surgeon in the country to die of the virus at West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth, cllr Shaheen said: “He was on the frontline and many, many doctors, nurses and hospital staff are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

“These people are absolutely on the frontline and [are] really tragically exposed because the government has ultimately failed in its provision of PPE and ultimately failed to provide testing capacity quickly enough.”

The government was unable to comment by the time of writing, but a Department of Health spokesperson said earlier this month more than 761 million pieces of PPE have been delivered across the UK and that a full ‘24/7

After being taken into custody, Cawley spat at a police officer and made threats of violence. He also stated he was infected with Covid-19, the court heard.

He was further arrested on suspicion of common assault on an emergency worker.

Detective Chief Inspector Fiona Martin, of Roads and Transport Policing, said: “Spitting at someone is a disgusting thing to do in normal circumstances but at this uncertain time of Covid-19, it is offensive, reprehensible and dangerous.

“Key workers such as bus drivers are essential to keeping London moving and they are currently doing this under very difficult circumstances.

“They, alongside our officers military operation’ was underway to manage supply and demand in the country.

It is believed 44 per cent of medical staff are from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to 14 per cent of the total population recorded at the last census.

Research by Sky News revealed last week that BAME medics made up 72 per cent of all NHS and carer coronavirus deaths.

The government has said the NHS and Public Health England will carry out an investigation into the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on the BAME communities.

Among the general population 17 per cent of people who died from coronavirus were from black, Asian or mixed backgrounds as of Tuesday, April 28.

Factors such as BAME residents being more likely to live in poverty, cramped conditions, and making up other key workers groups such as shopkeepers and bus drivers, cllr Shaheen said also puts them more at risk.

“It needs to be talked about more, we need to look at ways to keep BAME members safer...They are being let down,” he added.

Cllr Khan suggested cultural factors such as large family households living together could make it more difficult to self-isolate if one family member contracts the virus, but that answers are not yet clear into the disproportionate impact.

“I call for more testing, more data analysis of what is going on, not only in hospitals and care homes but in the family settings,” he said. who are all working hard as ever to keep London safe, do not come to work to be spat at.

“I hope the fact that Cawley has been remanded until sentencing shows that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated and will be dealt with great severity at all times.”

Crawley was been remanded to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court for sentencing on Wednesday, 29 April.