COVID-19 in Lewisham - 12 March update
This week Lewisham’s seven day COVID-19 infection rate fell below 20 cases per 100,000 population for the first time since last year. You can read more about the declining COVID-19 infection rates in this Evening London Standard article. This is the result of the hard work and many sacrifices made by Lewisham residents and those working in the borough, for which I am extremely thankful.
It is clear however, that the pandemic is far from over and we must continue to observe the ‘Stay home restrictions’ that are still in place until we reach the next stage of the national roadmap out of restrictions. I ask that we continue to do all that we can to stick to the rules in place to ensure that all of our hard work to date is not undone. You can read more about the roadmap out of restrictions on the Government’s website.
Return to school
For the first time since December, many children and young people returned to our schools and colleges, as we entered step one of the roadmap out of national restrictions.
Schools and colleges have worked hard to put in place testing for pupils where needed and ensured that we have COVID-19 secure educational spaces for our young people. Families, childcare and support bubbles of school-aged children (primary, secondary and college) can now access twice-weekly rapid testing using lateral flow tests. Regular testing will help to find people who might not realise they have COVID-19 and might be spreading the virus without knowing. Rapid testing will continue to be an important tool going forward as national restrictions are eased. Find out how you can access rapid testing.
Racism and COVID-19 inequalities
Some of the events of the past week have again brought the topic of racism into sharp focus and demonstrated just how much work there is still to do to address the issue nationally. The impact of racism on the lives and health of those experiencing it is undeniable and within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association of Directors of Public Health in London (ADPHL) has articulated that racism is indeed a public health issue.
The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on those from Black and Asian backgrounds, and the subsequent need to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccination in these same communities is evident. This is something we are determined to tackle as we work with the NHS in sharing information on the vaccination and building trust among Lewisham’s diverse communities.
The role of race, racism and discrimination in public health requires further discussion and investigation. As part of our work to address health inequalities in Lewisham, last year we partnered with Birmingham City Council through the Birmingham and Lewisham African and Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR). This was to draw on data, expert knowledge and lived experiences to produce realistic recommendations that will lead to improved health outcomes for Black African and Black Caribbean communities. Overseeing this work are two external boards. The advisory board has nine members who bring a range of knowledge, skills and lived experience via their community networks. The academic board consists of a network of fifteen national academics. Read more about the BLACHIR review and its ambitions.
As part of our work to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence, we are continuing to have conversations about COVID-19 vaccination with our community through our COVID-19 Community Champion programme and our resident webinars. Find out more about our COVID-19 Community Champion programme.
Yesterday we were joined by 80 attendees to address questions about the vaccination, which included addressing questions regarding the impact of racism on vaccine confidence. We will continue these conversations with a follow up webinar and live Twitter Q&A on 25 March. Find out more about our COVID-19 vaccine webinars and Q&A sessions.