Councillor tests positive for virus
Residents are being urged to follow the rules – as the country moves into a second lockdown – by a Walsall councillor who has contracted coronavirus.
Vera Waters said she received a positive result after undergoing a Covid-19 test, having been in contact with a family member who had the virus.
The councillor, who represents Rushall-Shelfield ward, is currently recovering at home and added her symptoms were “mild”.
But she said the ease with which she caught it showed how it is spreading and urged people to honour the guidelines as the country heads into a second lockdown.
Last month, she raised concerns about people not wearing masks or observing social distancing rules on buses.
Councillor Waters said: “I contracted the virus from a family member, I was only in contact with them for the same amount of time which I am on public transport.
“Sitting next to someone or across from someone who has the virus on public transport you can contract the virus. The virus is air borne.
“Saying this doesn’t effect me and I won’t get it is a myth, we all are susceptible to the virus none of us are immune.
“We need to be protecting the vulnerable people who we have contract with, we don’t want our vulnerable relatives to end up in ICU on a ventilator.
“It’s down to us to protect them, we shouldn’t need someone tapping us on our shoulders signposting us in the right directions, our own common sense should do this for us.
“We need to be social distancing and wearing masks as we’re instructed to do so. I have been very lucky my symptoms have been very mild and I am on my way to recovery.
“Track and trace is working superbly, since the family member had the test and added myself to their list of contracts I am receiving texts, emails and calls giving me information on what’s needed to be done.
“My own actual test was done under what I would relate to as military precision, safely and social distancing was taken into consideration and was done with accuracy.”
Councillor Waters added she has received messages from her constituents who are concerned about others not observing rules.
She said: “While we are back in full lockdown I would like to think this will give people the chance to reflect and when we return to some kind of normality they will be following social distancing measures more than they have been.
“The virus isn’t going to go away and it’s down to us all to do our bit.”
