This week Newham Council will debate an emergency resolution stating that it has
‘no confidence’ in the Government’s decision to drop mandatory wearing of facemasks
in public.
The motion raises concern that, to do this at a time of rising infection, ‘will risk lives and
increase the vulnerabilities of Newham residents’.The emergency resolution will be
debated at a full meeting of the council, on Monday 18 July 2021.
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham said:
“Our community has no confidence in the government’s decision to stop requiring the
wearing of masks at a time of rapidly rising infection. With even the Prime Minister and
Chancellor in self-isolation, and the Health Secretary testing positive for Covid due to
rising infections, it is obviously not the right time to stop mandating the wearing of
facemasks.
“Our community is being put at risk as only 35% of Newham residents have been fully
vaccinated, almost half the national average. We are asking people to keep
themselves, and each other, safe by wearing masks. As a council, we will retain the
need for those entering council buildings to continue to wear facemasks and we are
urging our residents to continue to wear facemasks as before.
“We have already been harder hit in terms of the health and economic costs of Covid
than most parts of the UK. Now is the time for us to stand together to keep each other
safe by continuing to wear masks.
“We have a clear message to our residents: We wear masks, we are Newham and we
will continue to do all we can to keep our resident’s safe.”
