With the Covid-19 seven-day case rate in Bradley Stoke standing at almost 600 per 100,000 – higher than any other area in the West of England – a local councillor has recorded a video message urging residents to “try to do even more to stop infection rates increasing in our community”.
A transcript of Cllr Franklin Owusu-Antwi’s message is reproduced below.
A message for Bradley Stoke residents
Hi, I’m Cllr Franklin Owusu-Antwi, [South Gloucestershire] ward member for Bradley Stoke North and Cabinet member for public health and equality of opportunity.
Like you, I have friends and family here. I go shopping to the Willow Brook Centre. I use a lot of services in this town, and I’m proud of being a Bradley Stoke town Councillor too.
This is why I’m making this appeal to you today to help keep Bradley Stoke safe, to help protect the people who live here, to keep our children in school and to keep the vulnerable members of our community out of hospital.
Unfortunately, there has been an increase in the number of new cases of Covid-19 in South Gloucestershire, including in Bradley Stoke. You also know from the recent announcement that rates in South Gloucestershire are higher than the rates of the South West. In Bradley Stoke this is particularly the case amongst school-aged children, which has led to a significant number of staff and children having to self-isolate, and some schools moving to remote learning over the last few days.
Schools have been doing a brilliant job of following all Covid guidance to keep students and staff safe and to keep parents and carers informed. But the virus is still spreading and now we, the residents of Bradley Stoke, must try to do even more to stop infection rates increasing in our community.
The virus spreads when we are in close contact with each other, particularly within households.
As you know, we are approaching the Christmas period when the government has agreed a relaxation of the current restrictions on household mixing and we are allowed to form Christmas bubbles with up to two other households. But I urge you all to think very carefully about the risks involved with this, and to exercise the greatest possible personal responsibility and do all you can to protect yourself and others.
Given the high rate in our community, we must do all we can to Keep Bradley Stoke safe over Christmas and into the New Year so we avoid a third lockdown, keep our schools open, and save lives.
Out of concern for their loved ones, most people are already thinking very carefully about their plans over Christmas, and in particular considering the risk to any elderly or vulnerable people. New Year’s Eve when the standard tier restrictions will still apply, will also be different this year and all of use, including the young people in Bradley Stoke, are being encouraged to make sensible choices to help keep everyone safe.
These are big sacrifices but we must make them now in order to get back to the things we love next year. It is essential all of us behave responsibly to reduce the impact of coronavirus on the health of those in our community and reduce the pressure on the NHS.
Always remember: ‘Hands, face, space’. Our individual actions can help to protect the vulnerable people in our families and communities.
Thank you for helping to keep Bradley Stoke safe.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Editor’s note: The video was uploaded to YouTube by South Gloucestershire Council on Friday 18th December but the Journal was only made aware of it by the council today (Monday 21st December).
For the latest local information and advice, visit www.southglos.gov.uk/coronavirus
Related story from 17th December 2020: Council statement on South Glos remaining at Tier 3 Covid-19 alert level (South Glos Post)
Latest Covid-19 statistics for Bradley Stoke
Seven–day rolling rate of new cases per 100,000 population by specimen date ending on 15th December 2020:
- Bradley Stoke Central MSOA: 567.0 (64 cases)
- Bradley Stoke North East MSOA: 601.6 (62 cases)
Note: MSOAs (Middle layer Super Output Areas) are a way of dividing the country into areas of roughly equal population for the purpose of statistical reporting (e.g. for the presentation of census results). These two MSOAs taken together correspond to the footprint of the whole of Bradley Stoke.
Data source: coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map
Comparison rates for the same period:
- South Gloucestershire: 182.0 (519 cases)
- United Kingdom: 265.1 (177,092 cases)
Data source: coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases
The following posts on the Bradley Stoke Journal’s Facebook page show how the local seven-day rate looked on the specified dates:
