It seems slightly surreal writing my regular column for the Herald at the moment when as I write we are still reeling from the shocking news about our Prime Minister in intensive care at St Thomas’s Hospital and the country remains in a state of unparalleled lockdown. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected and their families, but this underlines just how indiscriminate this terrible disease is and how we cannot afford to be complacent or relax the measures. So please just stay at home.
I guess we have all had to become experts on Zoom, SKYPE, Houseparty and all manner of other technological gizmos that allow us to work from home. My record for conference calls in the last week is seven in one day as we keep up regularly with ministers, local health managers, Sussex Police, council leaders. businesses, the Sussex Resilience Forum, the clergy and many others.
This week we also held the first virtual sitting of the Home Affairs Select Committee taking evidence from 4 Chief Constables from around England about how they are coping with the pandemic. There has been high profile media coverage of police accused of being heavy handed in deterring the public from congregating at popular spots but they are absolutely right to do their job and as the lawmakers who passed the laws they are enforcing it is important that they have our support to continue policing by consensus with the public.
Interestingly, of the four constabularies we interviewed, the highest Derbyshire had only issued 30 fines under the new laws and in Sussex I know it is much lower. If you want to know the reasonable grounds for leaving your home under emergency powers, then they are quite clearly set out on my website. And no, I do not have any authority to issue people with special travel passes, as I have been asked several times. And no, the PM is not going to get you a waiver either. I have been asked that too!
Interestingly the police have been coping very well despite an average absence rate due to self-isolation and other sickness or caring responsibilities averaging 13.1% across the country. Whilst they are out on patrol more engaging with the public, they are obviously dealing with fewer traffic accidents, pub brawls and domestic burglaries for example. Conversely, they are seeing more cases of domestic violence and child abuse, online crime and may expect to hear of more business premises broken into when everyone opens up again.
Well done to all those local firms stepping forward to do their bit to help the NHS effort and especially lancing firm Parafix who have now converted their production lines to produce 20,000 high quality vizors a day for the NHS starting with Worthing Hospital. Keep safe everyone.
