ANNE-MARIE TREVELYAN: We must all stick to the rules to weather this storm

The vast number fall within two categories: people who understand there need to be restrictions but do not think Northumberland should be included, and people who do not believe there should be restrictions at all.

Addressing the first issue, Northumberland County Council asked to be part of the restricted area because cases in our county are rising, and are doing so at an alarming rate. We know from test and trace data that rise has been fuelled not by tourists, but by people mixing with others in close quarters. The Council has produced a public dashboard so we can all view the case figures at a ward level. We are now seeing around 500 new cases per week, and that is now resulting in a rise in hospital admissions from Northumberland residents. For many living in more rural areas, it is difficult to understand why northern parts of the county are included in the restrictions, but few people are truly isolated. We work, go to school and shop in larger towns and cities. We are not immune. However, I have been very clear and have discussed with Ministers the prospect of removing areas, possibly even on a ward level, from the restricted area if and when cases start to fall and there is a “positive” direction of travel.

More widely, I am starting to receive correspondence from those who are understandably fed up with the restrictions, and are advocating for allowing the virus to “let rip” through our communities. Some try to argue that we could isolate the vulnerable and carry on as normal. Isolating the vulnerable is not a simple prospect. Infections are brought into care homes by care workers, into private homes by those who do their shopping or others with whom they live. Into hospitals by staff. No one can live in isolation, they have to eat, have their broken boiler fixed, see carers, take their children to school. The idea that those most vulnerable to suffer from Covid-19 are a group who can be cut off from their communities or even their own households is unrealistic.

There are also those who tell me the restrictions are not worth it, that they will take their chances and they do not wish to be restricted any longer. I understand their attitude. However, I have yet to receive a single email from a resident pledging not to call an ambulance if they or their spouse had difficulty breathing from covid. No one is truly prepared to sacrifice themselves or their families and nor should they be. We all want the NHS to be there to help us should the worst happen. We also want the NHS to be able to continue to carry out life-saving operations and treatment for other killer diseases. In order to enable that to happen we must all stick to the rules and do our best to weather this storm. This will not be an easy winter, but it will be much worse if our hospitals continue to fill with covid patients.

The restrictions in place are designed to try to strike a balance. To enable children to continue to go to school, to enable people to continue to work wherever possible. It is not an easy balance to strike and there will always be those who think the Government has got the focus wrong. However, whilst the Government is doing all it can to protect the health of our nation whilst also enabling as many as possible to work and be educated, it has my support.