Whilst scientists continue to assess the potential impact of the Omicron variant, it is right that the Government takes precautionary steps to reduce the spread of the virus whilst ensuring that our local businesses can continue to operate as normally as possible.
Wearing a mask in shops is one of the steps that has been taken. Whilst some have expressed their frustration at this, it really is a small step that can help to make sure we avoid further restrictions especially over the Christmas period. Whilst they aren’t an answer to completely stopping the spread, they do help, and epidemiologists have made it clear that they are an easy precaution to take. Many doctors and nurses as well as other professions have had to work long shifts throughout the pandemic with masks- so us wearing them in shops is a small ask in comparison.
The emergence of the new variant has also given us a new determination to speed up the rollout of booster jabs, with the ambition to offer all eligible over 18-year-olds a Covid-19 booster by the end of January. Locally those clinicians at STEAM continue to work very hard to boost the remaining vulnerable groups and those over 40. The advice continues to be to wait until you are invited for your booster and to hold off attempting to book one via the National Booking Service – as this may cause problems and delays for those currently eligible for their booster. Once again I want to pay tribute to the doctors, nurses, and volunteers delivering the vaccine programme, their hard work has made such a difference.
Last week I was delighted to join the annual Swindon Carer’s Day. A great opportunity to highlight the important contribution of carers of all ages in our community and recognise the tremendous direct support and advocacy that Swindon Carer’s provide – a truly fantastic local organisation.
Social Care is topical, with crucial reforms being brought through Parliament. The existing social care system exposes too many people to unlimited and catastrophic costs – 1 in 7 adults over 65 will face costs of over £100,000. We are the first and only Government to bring forward plans to fix this and despite the opposition opposing, they have offered absolutely no alternatives.
We are putting an end to unpredictable costs by putting an £86,000 cap on the amount people have to pay for their own care, and introducing a more generous means test and daily cost of living limit. Crucially everyone will be better off compared to the current system. More people will be supported with their social care costs, have greater certainty over what they need to pay and receive higher quality care. These proposals are very welcome.
With Christmas just three weeks from tomorrow, I know that many people have started Christmas shopping. With this in mind, I want to highlight Small Business Saturday, which is taking place tomorrow. The initiative aims to encourage people to support our small local businesses in their area, and provide a boost to those businesses. Last year’s event was a huge success with over £1.1 billion spent at small businesses across the country on the day. I would love this year to be even more popular, and hope as many people as possible take this opportunity to support small businesses in Swindon.
