In the House of Commons Debate on Wednesday 11 October, local MP Maria Miller thanked all front line workers in Basingstoke and called for everyone to help keep coronavirus infection rate down and protect the NHS.
Maria said “In the House of Commons debate on Coronavirus this week I was able to thank again front line workers in Basingstoke for everything they have done to help keep our community safe. Emergency services, local authority workers, teachers, school staff, all NHS workers, local charities and volunteers have tapped into the incredible community spirit that pervades our Borough, and kept our community going strong.
But now, regardless of the welcome announcements about mass testing and vaccines in the future, Coronavirus continues to spread, sweeping south, with infection levels rising more quickly in the South East and Midlands than in any other part of the country. Here in Basingstoke infection rates are increasing at a rapid rate from the low levels we achieved in the summer. The numbers in Hospital needing specialist treatment are rising too. The data shows that the virus is no longer confined to particular places, it is on the move in our community at large, often through people who display no symptoms at all. That is why the national lockdown is important for Basingstoke as a real opportunity to stamp out the spread of the virus before it takes hold as it has elsewhere.
One lesson already learnt from wave one of this pandemic was the greater loss of life from focussing NHS capacity solely on Coronavirus. In Basingstoke non-covid deaths were more than 20% higher in the first 9 months of the year because too many people did not seek the treatment they usually would for other life threatening illnesses. So we have to stop this increase in infection so that our Hospital has the capacity to treat everyone who is sick with Covid and non-Covid related illnesses, to try to stop that double tragedy again this winter.”
Talk of vaccines lifts our spirits and with it we can start to think about a way of living with this virus in the long term. But right now the data shows we need to redouble our efforts to stop the spread of this virus in its tracks, to make sure our Hospital isn’t overwhelmed as some are elsewhere in the country. Now is the time we all have to play our part: follow the rules to stop the spread of the virus here in Basingstoke; stay at home, only go out if it’s essential for work or food; don’t mix with other households; and observe social distancing, keep faces covered and hands clean.
We can we all play out part in keeping infection rates down in our community and in doing so keep the NHS safe for everyone."
To watch the debate click here
To read the debate click here