The last few months have been some of the most difficult in living memory. Both nationally and in Enfield the coronavirus has impacted upon virtually every aspect of life. Fortunately, things are now beginning to return to normal. However, what many of us fear is that there will be a second wave which may be worse than the first. So, here’s what’s happened in Enfield and what we might do to protect ourselves in future.

Unfortunately, death is a fact of life. What is worrying is when the number of deaths you might expect increases. The following diagram shows how the number of deaths in Enfield has risen and fallen in the past sιx months, 1 being Week 1 ending 3rd January, week 24 ending on 12th June.

As seen from the graph, between March and May there were approximately 500 more deaths in Enfield than might be expected. This has been the impact of the coronavirus so far. In line with national data the virus has mostly affected those who are older, male and from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnicities (BAME) communities. This includes Greek and Greek Cypriot communities.

Less than the 5 year average
Greater than the 5-year average

To stop this happening again there are some key messages; enjoy Enfield but even now, as lockdown measures are relaxed, we are still at what the Government has termed ‘level 3’ where the virus is in general circulation. Space is limited so without shame the following recommendations are made:
• Maintain social distancing as far as possible
• Wash your hands more frequently
• Don’t smoke – or stop! This is a respiratory disease
• Look after yourselves – and others around you. Now more than other is the time to check that your neighbours etc are ok