Rochdale council leader 'hopeful' to avoid local lockdown despite coronavirus spike
Words by Rochdale Council Leader, Labour Councillor Allen Brett
From day one of the pandemic we were quick to get clear, concise messages out to our residents. It has been important to act swiftly throughout the last few months, to be proactive not reactive.
The challenge has been to get the key information out and ensure targeted support reaches those most in need. As council leader, I am proud of what has been achieved so far. The hard work is, of course, ongoing.
Our proactive approach ensured we had enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) inplace for our care sector and frontline staff; over a million items of protective equipment were sourced very quickly.
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Regular briefings were sent out to all care providers, government cash was passed on to care homes, local businesses were supported with grants, we distributed key information leaflets to every home in the borough, five community response centres coordinated food parcels, help and support for vulnerable residents across the borough.
These have delivered thousands of vital food items over the last few months. I am proud of how the community has come together, working in partnership, to support our residents.
The latest challenge is to ensure we avoid a local lockdown.
I am hopeful we can, through our ongoing public information campaign advising people to wear masks in public, keep two metres apart, don’t hug or shake hands, wash hands regularly and get tested.
We have sent a further leaflet out to all residents, engagement sessions in local communities, radio broadcasts, videos, social media graphics, advertising boards and much more.
No one can say we aren’t getting the message out. The key to avoiding a lockdown is through proactive, targeted support.
My experience is our residents are responding well to our local advice.
I am seeing more and more people wearing masks, the public are supportive of our message, we are working closely with the business community and local councillors are working hard in their communities.
We need to keep getting the messages out, loud and clear.
I would say the performance of central government has been a "curate’s egg" throughout the pandemic. They have reimbursed some of our spending, but not all which they promised. That needs to be urgently sorted.
There was too much mixed messaging nationally, so we ensured our local advice came across loud and clear. I think they were too slow to give us the necessary data.
What this pandemic shows is that local works best. We know our communities and our residents. Give us the necessary tools, properly fund us and we will get the job done.
The last few months have been the most challenging since I first became a councillor, over 30-years-ago. My phone has never stopped ringing, the emails are constantly pinging, the situation changes by the hour, let alone the day.
As leader, I need to be seen to be leading, so I have been out across the borough to see at first hand (socially distancing of course) the wonderful work of our teams. I have been on scores of Zoom, Skype and Teams meetings. Technology has kept me in touch and ensured I can make informed decisions quickly.
There is no substitute for talking with people though, so in the early days of lockdown I made sure my daily exercise involved a walk around my ward, to chat and listen to people in the community.
On a personal note, I have had to spend less time on my hobbies of reading, gardening and jigsaws. The priority over the coming days and weeks will be to keep reinforcing our key local messages.
The virus hasn’t gone away, but we can lower the rate by adhering to the guidelines. As a proud member of the co-op, never have the Rochdalian values of co-operation being as important.
So, as I keep saying to local residents. Please stay safe, stay happy and stay healthy.