Last night Newham Council debated and passed an emergency resolution stating that it has ‘no confidence’ in the Government’s decision to drop mandatory wearing of facemasks in public.
The motion raises concern that, to do this at a time of rising infection, ‘will risk lives and increase the vulnerabilities of Newham residents’.
The emergency resolution was debated and passed at a full meeting of the council on Monday 19th July 2021.
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham said:
“Our community has no confidence in the government’s decision to stop requiring the wearing of masks at a time of rapidly rising infection. With even the Prime Minister and Chancellor in self-isolation, and the Health Secretary testing positive for Covid due to rising infections, it is obviously not the right time to stop mandating the wearing of facemasks.
“Our community is being put at risk as only 35% of Newham residents have been fully vaccinated, almost half the national average. We are asking people to keep themselves, and each other, safe by wearing masks. As a council, we will retain the need for those entering council buildings to continue to wear facemasks and we are urging our residents to continue to wear facemasks as before.
“We have already been harder hit in terms of the health and economic costs of Covid than most parts of the UK. Now is the time for us to stand together to keep each other safe by continuing to wear masks.
“We have a clear message to our residents: We wear masks, we are Newham and we will continue to do all we can to keep our resident’s safe.”