With the end of the national lockdown Wednesday and the return of Ilkley into Tier 3, Ilkley Town Mayor, Councillor Mark Stidworthy, said:
“Thank you to everybody for their positive response to November’s lockdown, despite the prolonged sacrifices already made. It is reassuring that Covid-19 case numbers in Ilkley are stabilising, but the virus is still circulating locally and making people ill. Please remain alert and continue to follow social distancing and other guidelines to keep each other safe.
The town’s businesses need us to rally round to shop and eat locally wherever possible over the next few weeks. Many have made significant investments in Covid-secure premises, deliveries and click-and-collect services so that we can use them with confidence. Their perseverance, along with emergency and key workers, health and social care providers, numerous volunteers, our school leaders and teachers, and everybody helping in whatever way they can, will enable us to come through this together.
The government has signalled an easing of restrictions over the holiday period, and considerable personal responsibility has been given to each of us to choose how we spend Christmas. I am confident that Ilkley residents will take time to understand the household bubble system, be sensible in assessing levels of risk to their families, consider alternatives to indoor meetings and make use of isolation, distancing measures, virtual meetings and even postponement to a later date, each according to their own circumstances. Both acute and long forms of Covid-19 remain an unpredictable threat across all ages in the community.
There is increasing optimism that a safe and effective vaccine is nearly ready. Delivering this at scale will place further pressure on already stretched local doctors and health workers, but achieving high uptake across the population is the only way that the vulnerable can be protected and perpetual cycles of infection and lockdown avoided. I am sure that Ilkley residents will be mindful of this in their personal choices.
Ilkley’s Coronavirus Response Group and local partners such as Ilkley Good Neighbours, Ilkley Foodbank, Ilkley’s Great Get Together and many others continue to assist Bradford Council in our District’s response. Thanks also to local street coordinators and others across the town bringing kindness to those in their neighbourhoods who are alone this Christmas.
A helpline (01274 431000) remains available for appropriate and confidential help through local networks here in Ilkley.”