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This from me - please follow guidance, keep your distance from others, wash hands and use sanitisers, wear masks, avoid big crowds, stay safe. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/everything-you-need-know-birmingham-18809398
Unfortunately my requests for a full interview with @BrumLeader and a chat with @DrJV75 could not be accommodated yesterday, nor did my request for an interview with @MattHancock @DHSCmedia get a response...and this is really really important stuff...
So these would be my Qs 1: "Why is #Birmingham deemed in need of 'enhanced support' rather than listed a (lower cat) 'area of concern' on the national watch list, when areas with lower infection rates are not given this special status?" eg. Newark and Sherwood, Swindon?
I put this twice to @BrumLeader who talked about general infection rates rising across the country, and council areas going on the list if rate is above 20 - but that doesn't answer why @MattHancock has given city special status and support....
So it's great the city of #Birmingham is getting extra resources, more testing sites and so on, but curious to know why it's treated differently from other areas with similar infection rates. I'm sure the answer is straightforward but be good to know it.
Q2: We can see infection clusters are cropping up around the city - but some of the city untouched. (No surprise that correlation with deprivation can be drawn - but also some v poor areas also untouched). Is a citywide response therefore the right one? https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/coronavirus-hotspots-birmingham-black-country-18804123
Incidentally, this q has been looked at by @johnclancy who was once @BhamCityCouncil leader, and was something of an outcast for last 2 years on council- he blogged about it, and features in this article here: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-lockdown-threat-branded-lunacy-18811667
But whatever your take on this, the underlying question is should the city be adopting a hyperlocal approach - some areas of the city are featuring more often as cluster hotspots than others. Very little going on in #SuttonColdfield for example...
Next questions about the measures proposed by the council to keep on top of the situation and hopefully bring down infection rates generally. On the households rule - why limit each of us to having max two guests from another household, rather than just saying have nobody round?
Assume this only applies indoors too, but clarity on that would be great. Then there's a new request not to gather in groups more than 30 - we are about to send thousands of kids back to school, in classes of 30+, so it would be great to have clarity on how this applies.
The measure also includes an exemption for 'congregational prayer' - I presume this is in recognition of excellent work done by mosques, gurdwaras, churches etc to ensure distancing and other measures - but what about indoor performances, conference rooms, large pubs?
And there was no mention of any recommendations for the shielded/clinically vulnerable, who are of course likely to be super anxious about what they should be doing now in #Birmingham
One final q - has #EatOuttoHelpOut scheme contributed to rising infection rate in Birmingham and elsewhere this August? That's it from me for now, hope we get chance to put these to @BrumLeader @MattHancock on your behalf soon. Feel free to add your own...
Actually, it's really important I make one final point - @DrJV75 @PauletteHamilto and others have been super available all through pandemic to answer media requests, which I'm sure have been at times overwhelming and impossible to meet, while also doing their jobs...
So this is not a criticism of anyone involved locally - but we will rightly be held to account if we (media) get things wrong. Yesterday alone nearly 400k people read our content about watchlist and fears for lockdown @birmingham_live
