I wanted to give you an update on what is happening in Norfolk to respond to the Covid 19 outbreak.
There is a huge amount of planning in place and taking place in Norfolk so that we are as ready as we can be for when infection rates substantially increase. Currently, we appear to be running about two weeks behind London in infection terms.
In brief, Norfolk Resilience Forum has brought together all the Category 1 responders in the County (eg Police, Health, Fire, military, utilities etc) with both a Gold and Silver command structure. This structure is making sure that there is good co-ordination of resources right across Norfolk. Norfolk CC is working well with the District Councils covering secured food supply, ongoing delivery of care in the community, support for those in self-isolation (eg shopping runs, medication, conversations), economic resilience and volunteering. NHS lists of those who are vulnerable are being used as the basis for this operation. Councils are already working with food suppliers to make sure that vulnerable groups have secured access to food.
In turn, District Councils will be working with a mixture of Parish/Town councils and self-created volunteer organisations to make sure that the vulnerable are looked after in “the final mile”. Rather than impose a rigid structure, the councils will work with whatever local organisation works best in each area – this could be the parish council, the church or a local community group, supported by a Council outreach worker if necessary. Each of them will be visited in the next week.
Having received briefings from all of these organisations I am very impressed with the level of planning already achieved, and the commitment of the teams. More than 80% of all councils’ efforts are now working solely on the response to Covid 19.
What should we be doing?
It’s hard to accept this, particularly if you are young at heart, fit and healthy, but if you fall within one of the at-risk categories (aged 70+, underlying medical condition, pregnant), then the best thing that you can do is self-isolate for 12 weeks. This really is the most responsible thing to do, both for yourself and for the NHS, since you are much more likely to require hospital treatment should you fall ill, taking up a bed needed for someone else. But there is much that you can still do: call others who are self-isolating and maintain morale and, if you can, donate to organisations working on the crisis.
If you are outside the at-risk categories and are not a key worker, we are going to need a lot of volunteers to help those who are self-isolating. Where to do this is listed on my website: https://www.jeromemayhew.org.uk/coronavirus-advice-0. I will keep this list updated. Broadland DC and North Norfolk DC will allocate volunteers to the local organisations as they are needed.
In addition to volunteering at District Council level, contact any local self-help organisation that you are aware of as being active in your parish and make them aware of your offer.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, think about your neighbours who might be self-isolating. This is a scary time, and one of the scariest parts of it is if you feel forgotten and alone, particularly with on-line food deliveries hard to come by. Even if you have never spoken to them, now is the time to knock on the door (maintaining social distance) and swap phone numbers. Offer to run errands, do the shopping, pick up medication. Then ring them up every now and again just to check in.
This is our opportunity to stand up and be counted to protect those who have to be shielded—the most vulnerable in our society including the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. This is both a wonderful opportunity for us to demonstrate our cohesiveness as a society and also our fundamental duty to look after those less fortunate than ourselves. Let us show ourselves that we are part of a great national community, worthy of our forebears and a standard for generations to come.
