Bradford residents urged to step-up in fight against Covid-19

Lockdown restrictions may be easing across the country but key figures from the business, community and health sectors, have united to warn against complacency.

More than 45,000 people in the UK have died from coronavirus and Bradford saw 222 cases of coronavirus last week - a rise of 20 per cent on the previous week - making it one of the highest in the country.

To avoid the prospect of the city being placed in a localised lockdown we are being told to continue with social distancing, wear a face covering, and self-isolate at the first sign of any Covid symptoms.

These include a new continuous cough, a high fever and loss of sense of taste or smell and sufferers are instructed to immediately go to a testing centre for a free test- while wearing a face covering and maintaining social distancing.

Bradford West MP, Naz Shah, led the rallying call praising residents for their hard work in tackling the virus but said the battle continued.

“We are not out of the woods yet and I don’t think things will ever go back to normal. This has had a massive impact on the community. When the scars and traumas of this pandemic heal we will look back and see how we got through this together.”

Bradford-based epidemiologist Professor John Wright, who leads one of the largest health projects in the world, Born in Bradford, said coronavirus was still putting people into intensive care and claiming lives.

“The pandemic isn’t over and we need to keep safe.”

Prof Wright said data showed there were hotspots throughout Bradford.

“The inner city areas are showing a rise in the number of cases of Covid-19 and we have seen outbreaks in schools and neighbourhoods.

“There are various factors including multi-occupancy and multi-generational households and many are in low-paid frontline work like in takeaways and taxi drivers, so it is an occupational illness.

“The key message is to keep washing hands, avoid gatherings and maintain social distancing and wear a face covering.”

He said a simple cloth face covering covering the nose and mouth would reduce droplet transmission.

“If you have symptoms then testing for coronavirus is free. If the test is positive, then it is vital that you isolate at home for seven days and members of your household should isolate for 14 days even if they have no symptoms. This is to protect the lives of your friends and family.”

President of the Bradford Council for Mosques, Zulfi Karim, said the community had done well to adapt to the new way of life.

He knows first-hand how much Covid-19 can wreak havoc. He caught the virus in March and his symptoms developed rapidly leaving him fearing he might die.

He ended up in hospital and, several months on, he still experiences breathlessness when undertaking simple tasks and has lost his sense of taste and smell.

He said: “It started as a mild cough and then developed into what I thought was flu.”

He took the government’s advice and self-isolated, moving his elderly father back to his own home for his personal safety.

Mr Karim said: “The community adapted very quickly and we closed all mosques immediately on the government’s advice.

“There was a worry that Ramadan would be difficult but we followed the guidelines and kept them shut.”

Now the second Eid is coming up and there are strict measures in place to enable worshippers to pray safely.

“We are going to have hourly sessions with a limited number of people allowed in, they will bring their own prayer mats, wear face coverings and be placed a safe distance apart.

“Covid-19 is still a threat to all sections of the community whether it is young people meeting up to go to the beach or the pub or people gathering at a mosque or to go shopping.

“The threat is not over and I don’t want anyone to go through what I have been through.”

Portfolio holder for healthy people and places, Councillor Sarah Ferriby (Lab, Wyke) praised the efforts of residents.

“This is a crucial time as restrictions are being eased, so we all need to play our part to keep each other safe because it might otherwise be easy to forget that the virus is still very much in circulation.

“Any one of us could be carrying the virus at any given time without even showing symptoms, with the risk that we pass it on to someone else who might well react very differently. We must also of course wear a face covering on public transport and, as of this Friday, in shops as per the government rules.

“It’s not been an easy time for many people, especially those members of our society who have had to shield for such a long time. I want to pay tribute to them and all the public servants such as care staff, bus and taxi drivers, shop workers and all the other key workers who have kept the district going throughout this pandemic. They have been fantastic.”

Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong) said he noticed that younger people were more blasé about adhering to the guidelines.

“It’s very simple, we need to stick to the government and Council advice. I have noticed there seems to be a split in the attitudes of some of the younger people who seem to be less inclined to follow the rules whereas older people are still taking things on board. There has, for example, been an increase in littering in the parks.”

Meanwhile the business community has rallied around the government’s message.

Trevor Higgins, the chief executive of Bradford Breakthrough, an organisation which represents some of the biggest companies in the district, said that all businesses had adapted quickly to the Covid changes.

It is now common for businesses like restaurants and beauty salons to ask for personal details so if anyone does test positive for the virus those who have been in contact with them can also self-isolate.

Mr Higgins said none of the business leaders had reported any complaints about this.

“The business community has adapted very quickly and we are seeing working from home becoming the norm.

“We have to continue to be mindful of the virus and we need to increase testing and tracing to prevent a second wave or Bradford going into a local lockdown.”

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: “As we take more and more steps towards returning to a more normal life, it’s easy to believe that COVID-19 is less of a threat to our health and the health of our family and friends. This is simply not the case. Every individual, every family, every business and every service has a role to play in stopping the spread of this virus.”

For a full list of symptoms to be aware of go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

You can book a test in advance at our testing centre in Centenary Square, Bradford; the drive-through site at the university; or a mobile testing unit. You can simply drop in at the Centenary Square centre 7 days a week between 8am and 8pm.

You must wear a face covering and maintain social distancing at all testing centres, and you MUST avoid travelling to and from the site by public transport.

To find out more about testing and for information on Mobile Testing Unit locations visit: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/health/health-advice-and-support/coronavirus-testing-in-bradford-district/

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