SOLIHULL authorities are being ‘extremely vigilant’ on Covid-19 in response to latest infection data, the council leader said today.
Councillor Ian Courts, writing for his latest newsletter, said: “We now have the detailed data telling us where infections are occurring so we are in a much better place to act swiftly to contain any potential outbreaks.
“We remain extremely vigilant and are following the data closely. Even though the total numbers are small we cannot be too careful.
“The government has given us new powers under certain circumstances to shut pubs, cafes, shops and restaurants, as well as close public places and cancel events.
“This could be in order to prevent the spread of infection, or to provide a public health response to an incident. It is expected that the new powers will only be used as a last resort, but they will be used if it is necessary.
“Staying alert among other things means being careful. I was in a shop attached to a local service station at the weekend, one that is used regularly by passing traffic, not just local traffic.
“The shop had a one-way system in place: I met a customer in mid aisle who had totally ignored the signs, which I pointed to; unbelievably, I met the same customer a minute later, in another aisle.
“The way we can avoid local lockdowns is to keep social distancing, wear face coverings when we go inside shops or bars and continue with hand hygiene. Surely, we can all agree following these basics. Being a little careful and considerate is preferable to any new lockdown.
“As more of our economy begins to re-awaken, however, I’m cautiously optimistic that the measures businesses have put in place are limiting the spread of the virus in the borough. Nothing is like it was, but slowly people are going back to our centres to shop and socialise.
