‘There’s no need for local lockdowns’
Fears of local lockdowns being enforced across the county have been dismissed by public health leaders.
Recent small spikes in new cases in some areas of Kent and Medway had sparked concerns residents could face a second round of restrictions like those seen in Leicester.
But public health directors from both councils have offered reassurance this is not the case as there continues to be a steady decline in positive tests since the peak of the virus in April. Medway Council’s director of public health, James Williams, and his KCC opposite number, Andrew Scott-Clark, spoke outside County Hall in Maidstone last Thursday,
Mr Scott-Clark said: “We’ve absolutely no plans to do lockdown currently.
“What we’re in is the tail of a pandemic and we’re going to see these little spikes and troughs as we go through time.
“The most important thing about lockdowns is we need the public to play their part.
“What we do know is that we do have Covid-19 circulating in our communities, albeit at a very low level compared to the peak, but it is still there and we need people to take responsibility and maintain social distancing and be aware of how close they are to friends, colleagues and people on the street and in shops.
“We’ve been through it and know what it’s like; nobody likes it.
“We want to protect our populations and our economy but we need people to behave and understand what they need to do to stop that happening.”
With pubs and other businesses opening last weekend, Mr Scott-Clark admitted being apprehensive.
He added: “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but what we need to do and ask is for people to protect themselves and protect Kent.
“The most important message here is to maintain social distancing - outdoors is much better than in; two metres is better than less than two metres and take notice of what’s around and wash your hands, etc.
“We’re asking people to be very responsible.”
Mr Williams said Medway Council trusted its population to do the right thing and wanted to celebrate the reopening of many businesses which would now be able to trade and have some sort of income for themselves and their families.
Recent scenes at packed Kent beaches, including Broadstairs and Margate, saw some people ignoring social distancing advice as they flocked to enjoy the good weather.
Asked whether any measures would be put in place to prevent such scenes in the near future, Mr Williams said he wanted to celebrate the responsible people during this pandemic, rather than target the small minority. “Nobody wants to go into any other forms of restrictions,” he said.
“What I’d like to do is celebrate the fact that people in Kent and Medway have been responsible throughout this pandemic. “The small minority who haven’t abided by the government regulations are outweighed massively by the considerable proportion of our population who are doing the right thing.”
What do you think? Do you fear a second wave? Email letters@thekmgroup.co.uk.