Coronavirus: We must stay strong, safe and united – Cammy Day

These are extremely challenging times with a pandemic impacting on all of our lives. The coronavirus is changing the way we live our lives, every day.

Last week the city took the extremely difficult decision to close down our libraries, leisure centres, community centres and day care facilities, and to encourage non-essential staff to work from home.

Schools across the country were also instructed to close. These are unprecedented times, and we are working with the Scottish Government and UK Government to ensure we get help and support to those most in need. Information continues to flow with our daily updates on the City of Edinburgh Council website and I would urge everyone to check that and our social media channels.

Last week, I joined the Drylaw Rainbow Club Day Care centre, who have set up an emergency food bank, and we delivered much needed supplies and assistance to the many people who have called for help. The day centre was impacted by the closure, and the 75 service users still require help and support from a small and dedicated staff team, calling the older people each day, to find out what support or assistance they require.

That is only one example of the great work our citizens are doing daily, and I want to give my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone who is doing their best to help keep the city going. The Edinburgh Partnership, the city’s community planning network, held an urgent meeting to co-ordinate the city’s response and to look at what more we can all do to help Edinburgh’s residents and businesses through this unprecedented and difficult time.

As we continue to develop our plans and respond to this constantly evolving situation, we’ll also be doing all we can to help those working incredibly hard to make sure important services can continue. Part of that will be helping to coordinate the huge volunteering effort that we’re already seeing across the city. It’s amazingly heart-warming, but unsurprising, to see the scale of kindness and generosity from Edinburgh people and businesses.

I also spoke with Lothian Buses, who are tirelessly trying to keep a transport system going with increasing pressures on the workforce and bus patronage. Lothian is our bus service, the city should be proud of it and I know their drivers will pull out every stop to provide the best service they can during these difficult times.

We need to hear our Governments give confident messages of support to the many people who have lost their jobs, or are losing out financially and to reassure our communities that help is here, and will be available.

I will be urging the Council to make sure our tenants remain safe, and that no punitive action taken with rent arrears during this period, and I hope Government provides the reassurance to the many who privately let their homes.

At this difficult time, I would encourage everyone to try to remain calm, look after one another and do what you can to help the most vulnerable in our fantastic city. We’ve all witnessed the panic buying – please buy only what you need, we are assured supplies are available and stockpiling will only lead to shortages for those people who really need it.

As I said before, these are unprecedented times, but we’re are united by the fact that it is impacting us all. We are all together in this and I hope everyone can stay strong, stay safe and look after one another.

Cammy Day is Labour group leader on Edinburgh Council