An open letter from the Chamber of Commerce: Full-scale lockdown will destroy the Derry economy

From being one of the safest and most compliant areas in the whole of the UK, the Derry City and Strabane District has now become one of the worst affected places in the whole of the UK and Ireland.

While we should be rightly proud of our efforts at the beginning of the pandemic and throughout lockdown, when we proved we can look after everyone in our community, we need to redouble our efforts and step up our compliance again.

As we go into what will be a very difficult winter, I am appealing to everyone in the North West – young and old – to play their part in driving this virus down and keeping everyone safe.

I understand that the messaging may seem muddled these days, and it can be confusing to know exactly what is and what isn’t allowed.

But the primary messages remain the same: wash your hands regularly, keep your distance when you’re out and about, wear your mask in shops and other enclosed spaces, and minimise your social contacts as much as possible.

If you have any symptoms, even if you think they are minor or nothing to worry about, you must self-isolate, only leaving your house to get a test. And if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, you also need to self-isolate.

The Executive says the scientific evidence currently suggests that the virus is being spread very easily in social settings – having people round for a few drinks on a Friday night, popping in for a cup of tea, going to your friend’s house on the weekend.

While these may seem harmless, it is clear that this has led to a serious spike in cases. All of us now need to minimise these contacts as much as possible and reserve more caution.

There is a real danger that complacency and carelessness will force us into another full-scale lockdown. Beyond the impact this would have to things like mental health and our children’s education, it is not an exaggeration to say this would destroy the local economy.

Small businesses, already reeling from the effects of March and April’s lockdown – and without the substantial support measures like the furlough scheme – would be wiped out.

Job losses could potentially run to the hundreds and thousands.

In one of the UK’s most historically deprived regions, I don’t need to outline the devastating impact this would have on our households and our families.

The next week or two are key in plotting the future course of this virus locally. We can either keep going the way we’re going, harming our public health, our community and our economy.

Or we can pull together, like we already have, and push down this virus yet again. We can do it, we’ve proven we can do it.

Let’s look after each other, protect our most vulnerable and our health service, and give our badly hit local businesses a fighting chance.