Councillor Mark Ingall, Leader of Harlow Council, and Councillor Andrew Johnson, Leader of the Opposition on Harlow Council are calling for residents to continue to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Harlow.
Full text from video:
Today we're making a direct appeal to you to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our town. Our appeal to you today is about saving people’s lives, protecting the NHS and helping your business or livelihood.
Harlow's residents and businesses have worked so hard for many months to keep infection rates low, but recently, COVID infection rates have been increasing. Because of the serious situation at the moment, we need to ensure that we all continue to do what we can to stop the virus spreading. We need to act now to protect ourselves and those we love.
As the leaders of the two different political parties on Harlow Council, we've been working together to tackle this serious issue. We've also been working with Essex County Council and our other partners, to help stop the spread of this disease - but we need your help too.
This is what you need to do: wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering indoors where you should, and remain socially distanced from others whether you are at the shops, at the school gate or in the park.
Please don't meet up with others inside your home, unless they're part of your household or support bubble, and always follow all the government rules for Harlow.
At times like this we need to act as though those around us have the virus. We need to take precautions, and anybody that gets symptoms should self-isolate and get a test. Tests can be booked from www.gov.uk or by telephoning 119.
If we do these simple things and follow the rules, we can as a town move forward safely, and hopefully stop the spread of the virus.
We have all had enough of COVID-19; we all feel like enough is enough. We get it. But please don’t give up now. We need to keep taking precautions until the roll out of the vaccine is completed next year.
The vaccine brings us real hope that one day we can celebrate together, like we used to. But it doesn’t mean we can now stop following the rules at the moment, because the rollout of the vaccine is going to take some time. And so, until we've all had a turn, we've got to take care, follow the rules and look after ourselves and others.
We must continue to what's right for our town and that is to stay safe and take care. The more we follow the rules, the quicker we will be able to spend precious time with our families and friends.
If you need support, help or advice, the Community Hub is here for you, operating Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and if you need the Hub’s help give them a call on 01279 927005.