Disability groups in West Yorkshire have called for people to continue wearing masks to help protect those who are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus.
Calderdale Covid-19 Disability Advisory Group, have written an article for HebWeb, based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. It says: “As many disabled people remain vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 despite double vaccination, the Public Sector Equality Duty requires that accommodations are made so that such people can continue to go about their daily lives, and are not excluded from public services due to COVID risk during the current outbreak with alarmingly high, and rising, community infection rates. And now rising daily death rates too.
“Over 20% of the 57 million UK adult population are disabled, including neurodivergent people and those with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. Even if all of those 11.4 million adults are double vaccinated and 95% protected, that leaves more than 570,000 disabled adults unprotected against severe illness and death from Covid-19. Add to that number those who are unable to have the vaccination, or in whom the vaccination is ineffective due to underlying health conditions. Also add the one million disabled children without vaccine protection. Finally add the fact that 60% of Covid related deaths in the UK have been among disabled people.”
They have called for local authorities to:
*require mask wearing (except for exemptions) – and social distancing where possible – on all public transport.
*take swift action to improve ventilation on all public transport
*provide all public services, including social care services and education, in as safe a way as possible with attention to social distancing, ventilation and Personal Protective Equipment
*work with local business organisations to maintain where possible social distancing and requirement for face covering in places such as shops and hairdressers. And:
*encourage the continuation of optional working from home, which will enable many disabled people to keep their jobs.
