WE ARE now starting to think about what’s next, said borough council leader, John Halsall.
After seven weeks of the tightest lockdown measures, Cllr Halsall said the borough council is now planning for the recovery phase of the pandemic plans.
“It will be progressive kind of easing,” he said. “We’re now thinking about recovery, what that means and how it will be executed.”
Cllr Halsall explained that within the Shute End offices, the borough council would have to bring in safe measures for working.
“We do something called smart working, which is where people can work from home sometimes, they have a work laptop and we have hot desks and meeting rooms.
“But with ideas of social distancing, hot desking will soon become a no no, as well desks that all face inwards on each other.
“And workplace toilets and kitchens also need to be thought through carefully. Issues like communal spaces all have to be sorted out.
“Even lifting lockdowns, we wouldn’t ask people to go back to work immediately. We need to think about it internally and with our contractors.”
Cllr Halsall said he believes the council will continue to assist some vulnerable residents for a much longer time.
“There will be some people that we will have to continue supporting with food packages for a longer period,” he said. “And we will also have to think about how to provide pharmaceuticals to these people too.”
