A message from the leader of Thurrock Council

Cllr Rob Gledhill, the leader of Thurrock Council has issued a statement:

The nation’s fight against coronavirus has entered a new phase as the government has set out a cautious roadmap to easing the measures which have been put in place to slow the spread of the virus.

For now the changes we will see need to be very small. But just as these small changes build on the success we have won together so far the next changes will build on our ongoing successes.

It is still up to all of us to follow the guidance and make sure that we stay alert, control the virus and save lives. The best way to do this is by staying at home as much as possible and following social distancing guidance of staying two metres, or six feet, away from other people when you do go out.

We are winning this battle but we have by no means already won. The path to victory is a very narrow one which relies on all of us sticking to the rules and making sure we continue to remain diligent in following social distancing guidelines.

We have come so far and by working together we have all achieved so much. Thanks to what we have done the spread of the disease has been dramatically slowed, the NHS has not been overwhelmed and we are now seeing the first easing of the restrictions we have had to all place on our lives the past few months.

We will begin to see some shops and businesses re-opening, including garden centres. However there are still strict rules in place about which businesses can open  If you think a business has re-opened which shouldn’t you can let us know by filling in a short online form.

As we continue to work from home we all need to be mindful of the impact we can have on one another’s working day. A little bit of tolerance and understanding will go a long way. You might hear some noise you wouldn’t normally from a local business but at the same time we should all think about how the noise we make could impact others. 

We need to all look out for our families and each other and all make an extra effort to be good neighbours to one another, keep an eye out for each other and make sure that we are all OK, especially any vulnerable neighbours you might have.

It is vital that people properly dispose of any PPE they are now wearing as more business reopen. Please put it in the bin at work or at home and do not discard it on the streets.

We must all continue to play our role in this fight and make sure that we all stay alert to the dangers posed by coronavirus.