Opening back up must be right, not rushed

The opposition Labour group at Northumberland County Council is urging the council to ensure it puts the safety of its staff and residents first as it reopens services and facilities.

Deputy leader of the Labour group Scott Dickinson said: “After weeks of sacrifice we are all keen to get facilities back open and return to some kind of normality, albeit it will be different to what we've been used to because of the need to continue social distancing.

“Whether it's our town centres, public toilets or other facilities, we must ensure staff are safe. If staff are safe, then the public we serve will be safe.

“This is definitely a case where first is not best; there will be no prizes for rushing to be the first local authority to reopen services and facilities if they need to be closed again because of a re-emergence of the virus.

“In our view the operational managers are best placed to know what will work in their area, so we're urging the council to work closely with them and only ask them to do things that they would be prepared to do themselves.

“We have heard over and over again that we're all in this together. If we were in all this together at the lockdown, then we should make sure we are all in this together as we reopen facilities.

“I'm sure the public want to know that the arrangements are in place protect them and to protect the staff who work there. That way, everyone stays safe and that's the important thing.”