Failings in Leicester are doomed to be repeated
Living and working in Leicester city centre we find ourselves in a new social experiment (Leicester forced into local lockdown to combat surge in Covid-19 cases, 30 June). We were all surprised to learn from Matt Hancock of an increased infection rate in a daily briefing on 19 June. Since then we’ve been the focus of speculation, and now of action. Our store opened two weeks ago, a Monday morning that saw two-hour queues snaking around the city-centre streets. Shops including ours are now closed again, and bars and barbers have put their reopening plans on ice. The community overall has patiently respected a sensible and cautious return of safe behaviours.
But there is a problem: Leicester has huge poverty and inequalities. Living and working conditions are extremely challenging for many families trying to do their best and follow guidance. Government financial support has not reached many as they fall through the gaps. National health messages just have not reached many BAME communities. All of this was only made worse by our own elected mayor breaking lockdown rules, and admitting he didn’t understand them, which only enhanced the Cummings effect. Did Leicester ever stand a chance? I think not.James HempsallDirector,
Hempsall’s, Leicester
• The rise in Covid-19 cases in Leicester will inevitably be repeated elsewhere. Of course those inside the proposed lockdown area need to understand why they are included, and the relevant geographical boundaries need to be clear, yet news from Leicester indicates confusion, anger and an understandable feeling of being unfairly targeted.
Rather than adopting its usual reactive mode, why has the government not prepared a national strategy, with tools to deal with local increases in cases, and establishment of local lockdowns? Essential to this is the availability of local data – calls for locally specific data have started to increase, yet who is hearing them? Why has local data about Covid-19 infection been withheld – to the extent that only very recently have GPs started to be informed about infected patients? It is our communities that are at risk.
New Zealand provides an example of an effective country-wide strategy. There, residents received daily updates about local clusters of cases. Details were provided of active cases, new cases, deaths, number in hospital, age ranges etc. Isolated cases were also specified. Crucially, the system normalised the response, including the deployment of public health expertise and of test, track and trace teams. We need national leadership, along with regional and localised delivery. Imogen TaylorEmeritus professor of social work and social care,University of Sussex
• The situation in Leicester reinforces the need for local leadership of the Covid-19 response as local lockdowns become an ongoing part of life. It is tragic to see a vibrant city like Leicester looking to national government to control its virus spike.
It is hardly surprising though, as the building blocks for local action were largely dismantled in NHS reforms and have been shamefully sidelined in the current national strategy. They need to be rapidly reassembled. Local infection control resources based around public health departments need timely access to detailed information from testing. Their skilled and knowledgeable staff need to be fully engaged in tracing. Detailed information about testing, cases and hospital admissions needs to be available and publicised in the local press, so that the public are engaged and aware of what’s going on in their own community.
A sense of local solidarity is needed to ensure people’s support for renewed lockdown restrictions.Juliet WoodinNottingham
• Hey! We’re in the news again! Not such a great reason this time, though.Chris HughesLeicester