Mayor – ‘New COVID19 rules are tough, but we must respect them’

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey has urged the public to respect the increased public health restrictions announced by the Northern Ireland Executive.

Mayor Councillor Jim Montgomery said he recognised the measures were tough, but necessary to reduce infection rates which had risen dramatically in recent weeks.

Speaking after the Executive unveiled its plans to increase the powers of enforcement Councillor Jim Montgomery said,

“No-one wanted to be in this situation. However, with the numbers of people infected rising dramatically, and the pressure on our health service at critical levels, it is clear that we need an increased deterrent for those who would take unnecessary risks.

“These new rules are tough, but as a community let us show a unity of purpose and respect them in letter and spirit. We have shown before how if we all act together, we can directly drive down the rates at which the virus spreads.

“The actions of every one of us has an impact on this situation and we can protect ourselves if we take personal responsibility. In doing so, we protect our families, particularly our vulnerable, and collectively our NHS.”

“This time, with a vaccine being rolled out, we can see a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. But we are not there yet, so we must all take responsibility and follow the rules. If we do so, we can make sure we don’t push our NHS heroes beyond a perilous breaking point.”

“So let’s all do the one simple thing we are being asked to do and stay at home”.