Weekly Round-Up

The announcement of new restrictions this week was tough for us all to hear. Our community has worked tirelessly together to try and stop the spread of Covid-19. But with the new variant of the disease sweeping throughout the country more action was needed. We have been informed that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a major incident in the capital as our hospitals will shortly be overwhelmed by this devastating disease. The rates of Covid-19 in the North East of London including Enfield remain extremely high, so please stay at home and if you have to leave your house for essential purposes make sure you are wearing a mask or face covering at all times.

I have done all I can to press the Government to take the right action at the right time and that is why I joined my Labour colleagues in voting for the national lockdown in England on Wednesday.  

The new national lockdown means that schools are now closed, social gatherings are not allowed – excluding those who can form social bubbles – and non-essential retail and hospitality must close. If you are unsure of the new rules please visit gov.uk/coronavirus where you can find full details.

Statistics are a cold and sometimes remote way to measure such a catastrophic challenge we are facing. Each number represents someone’s loved on and we should always remember that is the driving factor behind lockdown – to protect our families.

Figures show that to date in Enfield there have been 21,179 confirmed cases and heartbreakingly 500 deaths. Our infection rate is currently 1253 per 100,000 as of 8th January 2021. To try and track and trace those who are asymptomatic Enfield has set up 6 community testing sites. These sites are in addition to the sites offering testing for those with symptoms. It’s important that those with symptoms you should visithttps://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test 

It is important that everyone is informed on Covid-19 restrictions, vaccination and support and I will continue to press the Government to get the best possible support for Enfield North.

I met with the North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and senior representatives from public health bodies this week. This meeting was designed to ensure we could share information and build trust between communities and those trying to protect us from coronavirus. I was pleased to hear of the tremendous work that is being done by our NHS professionals in such a hard time. We will forever remain indebted to them and I will do all I can to ensure that our key workers are cared for during the pandemic.

The meeting focused upon how the local council and CCG are working together to drive uptake of the asymptomatic tests. I’m joining with the Leader of Enfield Council is encouraging everyone to get tested twice a week.

There are now 9 sites in hospitals throughout North Central London providing vaccinations. It is important that when you are notified it is your turn to get the vaccine that you get it. By getting a vaccine you are doing your bit for your community and most importantly are protecting your loved ones from the horrors of Covid-19.

Primary Care Networks have started to vaccinate the cohort priority individuals such as residents over 80 and vulnerable residents . As soon as I have more information I will update you.

In addition to meeting about Covid-19, I met with Enfield and Haringey’s London Assembly Member, Joanne McCartney AM, to discuss future improvements to the frequency of overground trains in the easter part of the constituency. It’s important that we keep Enfield North connected with decent trains into central London so that we can grow our way out of the Coronavirus recession we are currently living in. It’s important that I had the opportunity to discuss the Enfield Lock and Brimsdown Train Stations as even though lockdown restrictions have meant that train usage is currently low there is projected growth due to housing and increasing demand. Going forward I want to see investment in our local rail network to give us the boost we need to our local economy.

Moving away from the UK, we will have all seen the shocking scenes in Washington DC this week. I am sure members were horrified as I was by the scenes coming out of Washington this week. As usual, the UK Government was too slow to respond. However, I was pleased that both Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy condemned the actions. If we are to learn anything from these horrendous scenes is that democracy is precious and fragile. We must always cherish and protect it against the challenges of populist ideology and the spectres of fascism.

Finally, I am very pleased that the Labour Party, the Daily Mirror and the TUC have joined forces to launch the #LetsvaccinateBritain campaign, to sign up thousands of volunteers as NHS England needs 50,000 stewards to help roll out the vaccine. Whenever our country has been at a time of need, the labour movement has always stood up, moving heaven and earth to help in the national interest. If you would like to help out you can:

1-Volunteer to help the NHS deliver the jab

2-Make sure you have the jab when it is your turn

3-Encourage family and friends & workmates to have the jab

4-Help counter false news about the vaccine

To volunteer: https://nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk/

My telephone surgery sessions are continuing, and if you would like to book an appointment, please do contact my team to arrange this.  Although my office is closed to the public in line with Government guidelines, my team and I are working hard from home so please do get in touch on feryal.clark.mp@parliament.uk if there is anything we can help you with. Remember –stay safe, save lives – maintain social distancing and keep washing your hands!