Mansfield MP warns that lockdown measures are far from ending

Ben Bradley says social distancing measures will be continuing for several weeks to come

I should say from the start that these figures are not just numbers, but people’s loved ones who have died or been seriously ill, and my heart goes out to all those directly affected by this tragedy.

Despite many beginning to look forward, and despite the talk in much of the media about when ‘lockdown’ measures will be lifted, we’re simply not at that point yet.

Even if figures show the curve on the graph is flattening and numbers perhaps beginning to decrease, we’re still very close to the worst period.

We’ve not gone far down the other side yet of the hill yet, and the risk remains very high.

Don’t expect these social distancing measures to be lifted for several weeks yet.

It’s worth pointing out that whilst up to this stage the East Midlands has been one of the least affected areas, that doesn’t mean this will remain the case.

It’s likely that outside the major cities which have been hardest hit so far, in places like Mansfield and Warsop, we will be behind the curve in terms of the spread of this virus.

The shift out from the cities will take a little longer as we have a smaller and more thinly spread population.

That means that when London’s figures are coming down, this area’s are likely to still be heading upwards.

This district’s normal health stats aren’t great, and particularly in terms of the prevalence of lung conditions that make people vulnerable to this disease, so I would urge everyone not to get complacent; don’t get bored with staying home.

The media tends to focus on London rather than account for local challenges in a small towns with our particular localised health concerns.

In this part of the world we all know an ex-miner with Pneumoconiosis, somebody’s grandma with COPD, the friends who still smoke 30 a day.

There are very real and very clear health risks to a huge proportion of our local population.

Whilst I don’t want to put a dampener on people’s optimism and the will to get back out there, which will happen when we beat this thing, I wanted to use my column this week to level with you.

We are far from being out of the woods yet.

We will feel the consequences of this virus for many years to come, but we are not yet over this initial emergency.

Please continue to abide by the rules.

Stay home, save lives.

Ben Bradley is MP for Mansfield.