Wednesday 18 March 2020

Lord Mayor's Column - 18 March 2020

The Mayoral diary has seen a number of cancellations this week due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Coronavirus is a viral disease that can cause coughing, fever and difficulty breathing. It can be more severe in older people, those with weakened immune systems and some long-term conditions like diabetes or cancer.

It’s understandably a worrying time for lots of people, particularly for the older members of our community and those with underlying health problems. The people of Swansea have always shown a great deal of generosity and community spirit, and in these uncertain times I would like to call on you all to make sure those most vulnerable in your community have the support they need.

These most vulnerable groups are also being advised by the government to avoid social gatherings, either in public places likes pubs, clubs and restaurants, or large family gatherings at home.

The one mayoral event that did take place was the monthly citizenship ceremony. It is always a lovely way to welcome new citizens to Swansea and to the UK. The sense of community which makes our City such an attractive place to live and work will be a major factor in how we manage our response to coronavirus over the next few months.

Inevitably, given the age groups involved, a ‘Don’t dance alone’ event at Clwyd Primary School was one of my postponed events this week. It’s been running for a number of years now and does great work in raising awareness of the issue and encouraging different generations to interact.

One consequence of this virus may well be an increase in loneliness and isolation, so keeping in touch with older people – particularly by things like telephone calls – is even more important while they are self-isolating. Please help if you can.

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