City leader: ‘We’ll be ready for Covid-19’
meeting until June at the earliest. Council leader Graeme Miller told the chamber the annual Mayor-Making, which traditionally takes place in May, is likely to be postponed as ‘May is also likely to be the peak of COVID in Sunderland’.
“While we will look back on this time inevitably with sadness and quite probably disbelief,” said Coun Miller, “we will also look back with tremendous pride on our city and its people and how everyone pulled together to get through it.”
He added: “Scientists predict today that infection levels will reach their peak in the UK in two – three weeks.
“We have to be ready – and we will be ready – to keep critical health and social care and environmental services going and any other service that must continue in order to keep Sunderland’s residents safe and supported.
“We will get through this and emerge stronger for it in time as a city, if we all work together and look after one another, and I thank you all, sincerely, for your support.
“This is not about politics, this is about people and health.”
Just 25 out of 74 sitting city councillors attended the meeting, including current mayor David Snowdon, with several empty seats between each to comply with social distancing guidelines.
Following a request from Coun Rebecca Atkinson, cabinet member for housing and regeneration, a minute’s applause was held for all key workers fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, ahead of a national call for all households to do the same on Thursday, March 26 at 8pm as part of the #clapforourcarers campaign.
Following a request from Coun Niall Hodson, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, the emergency powers granted to Mr Melia will be reviewed at the ‘first available opportunity’.