New restrictions imposed and schools closing was not how I hoped to open my new year column to you all. But whilst in March last year we started a lockdown in trepidation, this time there is hope.
There is no doubt the situation we face is grave, with a new variant that is 70% more transmissible, case rates at 739.5 per 100,000 people in Sevenoaks at the time of writing, and our hospitals under severe strain. But now we have a vaccine. The Government is rolling out the biggest vaccination programme in British history, which has already seen us vaccinate more people than the rest of Europe combined. The NHS hopes to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the four top priority groups by the middle of February, which means all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, everyone over the age of 70, all frontline health and social care workers, and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable.
This group of 13.5 million people account for almost 90% of the tragic coronavirus deaths we have seen over the past year. Once they have all been vaccinated, we will be able to lift many of these restrictions and start to resume the normality we all crave.
We are within touching distance of this nightmare being over, which makes it all the more important that we pull together for the final heave. The new restrictions are clear: people must stay at home, and should only leave home for exemptions such as essential shopping, to go to work where working from home is not possible, to exercise, to attend a medical appointment, or to seek assistance for harm and domestic abuse.
I understand that, however necessary, many residents will be feeling anxious, frustrated and exhausted by restrictions and rules on our lives. I stand by to support you however I can. Having been continually calling for additional economic support packages throughout our time in Tier Four, I am delighted the Chancellor has announced one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the Spring. A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support other impacted businesses. This is in addition to £1.1 billion in further discretionary grant funding for Local Authorities, Local Restriction Support Grants worth up to £3,000 a month, and the extension of the furlough scheme. I know these provisions will offer another lifeline to those struggling businesses.
For full details on the lockdown restrictions please visit my website at: https://www.lauratrott.org.uk/covid-19-advice-constituents. As ever, if you have any questions or need my assistance, please email [email protected]. I continue to hold virtual surgeries daily for the most urgent cases, and I am working very hard to make sure we get the support we need to get through these final few weeks.
