What we can learn on Oxford's one-year Covid anniversary

Anniversaries are usually a good time to reflect on what has happened over the last 12 months.

As the county commemorates one year since the outbreak started locally, Susan Brown, Oxford City Council's leader, has reflected on what could have been done differently to tackle the outbreak and the lessons learnt.

Ms Brown has had to battle the Covid-19 crisis on three separate fronts.

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First, in her role as a leader of the council, then as head of media and staff aommunications at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and lastly as the parent of two daughters navigating their education during the pandemic.

Speaking on the anniversary of the first recorded Covid-19 case in Oxford, the councillor said that, in hindsight, she wishes that the Government had locked down the country much sooner.

Our front page last year when the first cases in Oxfordshire were officially confirmed

She added: "In particular, I wish that they had set up a proper Test and Trace system alongside travel restrictions and quarantine – which is now finally being introduced a year too late.

"And even now, we have not taken the lessons from island countries such as New Zealand and Australia who have managed this very successfully, so I fear that our system is not fit for purpose."

In addition, the councillor said that throughout the past year the Government has taken a 'centralising and privatisation' agenda to test and trace, and PPE purchasing, which took the ability to deliver these services away from those 'best able' to do it.

Ms Brown also spoke about what the virus has changed locally – from the need for human interactions to the council's approach to tackling homelessness.

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Life has now changed beyond recognition for a number of residents who, along with the rest of the country, were forced to live under three lockdowns.

Oxford also bounced from Tier 2 to Tier 4 and residents saw restrictions tightened in December – only a few weeks before the UK entered its current lockdown.

The councillor said: "As in many other places, the ability to work remotely for some people will mean that office life will never be quite the same again.

City council leader Susan Brown

"But it is too soon to write off office life completely.

"One of the profound lessons of this pandemic is our need for human company and so workspace where we can meet up will still be important.

"We also, in the first lockdown, really saw the benefits in terms of reductions in air and noise pollution from dramatically reducing private car traffic in our city.

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"We need to build on that to encourage walking, cycling and shopping locally for the longer term.

"I would like to see the housing first approach to rough sleeping that we have taken in the pandemic last in the long term.

"Putting a roof over people’s heads should be the first step to solving their complex issues, not the reward at the end of it.

However, Ms Brown pointed out that for this to be achieved, a change in Government policy is needed, in addition to funding for the scheme to last.

In fact, she said that money given to local authorities has not met additional costs imposed by the outbreak.

Speaking about the support given by central to local Government to tackle the pandemic, the councillor commented: "Local government has been let down by national government when it comes to resources.

"We were told by minsters to do what we needed to do and that we would be compensated.

"We have also experienced huge gaps in our income.

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"But in Oxford we wanted to make sure that our homeless people were offered safe accommodation and that those in need were able to access help and we have delivered both of those in spite of the lack of government support."

Ms Brown also praised the work of the many volunteers who came forward to support the council's efforts.

Speaking from her personal experience in the face of Covid-19, the councillor also 'took her hat off' to teachers who have been supporting the children of key workers throughout the pandemic in school.

She said: "It has been a difficult experience for everyone and I am so sad for this generation of young people about what they have missed in terms of education but also friendship, socialising and fun."

However, residents are now looking forward to restrictions slowly being eased over the next few months as part of Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown, which was unveiled last week.

Ms Brown said that while everyone wants to see a 'clear' way out, people have to be assured that it is safe and that the consequences are not 'too great'.

She added: "We have seen many times before that the Prime Minister has not paid attention to the data, but has been more obsessed with headlines and pleasing his backbench MPs than listening to the science.

"It is not helpful to businesses to be constantly having to gear up and then close down."

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While MS Brown admitted that the Covid-19 vaccine rollout does make it different this time, however, she said it is not a 'silver bullet'.

She added: "We still need to have other measures in place to make sure case numbers do not overwhelm the NHS and hit businesses.

"We want to get this right."

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