Sutton Scene - Leader of the Council Column 26/06/2020

The sun is shining and we seem to be having a summer heatwave. But life is still far from back to normal.

It was good to see Sutton High Street opening up again recently with shopkeepers and customers being sensible about the need for social distancing. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to organise this and ensure that the queues are well-managed. The Government has now announced that cafes, restaurants, pubs, hairdressers and some other leisure facilities can open from 4 July. All of these openings are still subject to social distancing with at least one metre distance from each other (though a greater distance is preferable). Face coverings, especially on public transport, are also still required.

As a Council, we have a responsibility to help facilitate and support the new government guidance as the lockdown is relaxed. But we are also conscious that this deadly virus is still among us and we do not have a vaccine yet. The Government is asking all councils to play an important role in its Track and Trace programme and we are putting together a plan to manage and control any specific local outbreaks of the infection, should they occur in our borough.

We are all eager to meet up with friends and family, to enjoy the attractions that our borough and our city have to offer, to get our businesses up and running again and to support our local economy. But we need to do so thoughtfully, carefully and safely. The community in Sutton has responded to the pandemic with compassion and good sense. Let's not undo all that good work by rushing back to do things before it is safe to do so.

Enjoy the sunshine and stay safe.