LTB 126/2021- CWU ‘FACTS – Coronavirus Has Not Gone Away’ Poster:
No. 126/2021
25 March 2021
Our Ref: E1/21
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
CWU ‘FACTS – Coronavirus Has Not Gone Away’ Poster:
The CWU/HQ Health Safety & Environment Department is issuing a new CWU Poster – ‘FACTS – Coronavirus Has Not Gone Away’ in order to remind CWU members to maintain the current ‘COVID – SECURE’ safety precautions which remain in place and have not been withdrawn by either the Government or the employers at this stage.
Earlier this month the Government announced a ‘Roadmap out of Lockdown’ which will see restrictions lifted in 4 steps on a route back to a more normal life. The programme of relaxing restrictions will depend on a number of things such as the success of the vaccination programme, the public obeying the law, people getting tested when needed, isolating when required, and continuing to follow the ‘hands, face, space, ventilation, cleaning’ guidance.
The Government stresses that we must all remain vigilant – in particular against the threat from new Covid-19 variants and continue to protect the NHS. We must also be cognisant of the fact that most of Europe remains in ‘hard lockdown’ because of high and climbing numbers of Covid-19 cases and deaths.
In implementing this roadmap plan the Government will be guided by data, not dates, so that there is no risk of a surge in infections that would put unsustainable pressure back on the NHS and another wave of infections and deaths as is currently being seen in France, Italy, Germany, Poland and several other European countries. For that reason, all the dates in the roadmap are indicative and subject to change. There will be a minimum of five weeks between each step; four weeks for the scientific data to reflect the changes in restrictions to be analysed; followed by one week’s advance notice of the restrictions that will be eased.
Only when the Government is sure that it is safe to move from one step to the next will the final decision be made. The decisions will be based on the vaccine deployment programme, evidence showing the vaccines are effective, infection rates do not surge, whether hospitalisations and deaths are increasing and the impact of new virus variants.
In conclusion, the Government stresses that as the country moves through each of these phases in the roadmap, we must all remember that Coronavirus/Covid-19 has not gone away and remains a part of our lives. To keep ourselves and others safe, we must carry on with ‘hands, face, space’ plus cleanliness and good hygiene, avoiding crowded places, ventilation and fresh air and compliance with the ‘Covid-Secure’ measures in the workplace that remain in place. Get tested when needed. Get vaccinated when offered. If we all continue to play our part, we will be that bit closer to a future that is more familiar.
PLEASE KEEP ADVISING MEMBERS TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE IN THE POSTER (pdf copy attached).
Hard copies of the poster are being distributed to Branches and Regions.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer