Sutherland on slowdown: community camaraderie as outbreak starts to bite
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The intensifying coronavirus crisis began to seriously impact on Sutherland this week with the county slowly grinding to a standstill.
Upcoming events have been cancelled, churches, public buildings and offices shut, attractions closed down and employees told to work from home.
A meeting of the Sutherland Emergency Liaison Group - a multi agency body - has taken place.
But communities are rallying round with resilience planning coming into play and measures put in place to check on residents most at risk, such as the elderly.
Shops, restaurants and other businesses are also showing support with offers of home deliveries.
Councillor Deirdre Mackay, East Sutherland and Edderton ward representative, paid tribute to the community spirit.
She said: “The message is that we all come together to do our utmost to slow the spread of this disease and to support and protect our communities as much as we practically can.”
As the Northern Times went to Press yesterday, there were five confirmed cases of coronavirus in NHS Highland’s area. The number of people in Scotland who tested positive for Covid-19 stood at 195.
The UK has not yet followed the example of Italy and gone into lockdown but Government advice is to avoid social gatherings and travel if not necessary.
Organisers began cancelling forthcoming events in Sutherland at the end of last week. Community lunches, coffee mornings, plays and musical events have all been called off.
Among the casualties are the 2020 Cape Wrath Challenge, due to be held on May 10 and Tain Runners’ Lighthouse 10K on April 26.
Dornoch museum Historylinks has postponed a major conference it had planned on March 28 to mark the end of its Longhouse Project.
The Church of Scotland has intimated that all gatherings for worship should cease until further notice, including Easter Service.
The Bradbury Centre, a day care unit for the elderly, at Bonar Bridge, is “suspending its service” as is the Kyle Centre at Tongue. Golspie Village Hub is also closed.
Voluntary Groups Sutherland has closed its Golspie office; Historic Assynt has shut down the archive at Inchnadamph Old Kirk and some businesses at Balnakeil Craft Village have closed.
A spokesman for the craft village said: “This has been a difficult decision for us to make as many of us are sole traders and our arts and crafts are our only source of income. Let’s hope it all passes quickly.”
Golspie Community Council has delivered a resilience leaflet to every household in its area with useful information and details of how to request support if necessary.
A council spokesman said: “We are encouraging everyone to identify two people to act as “bug buddies” to help with daily activities if you have to self isolate. The reason for two is to have a back-up in case the first person has to self isolate too.”
The Resilience Volunteers, a spin off from Brora Community Council Resilience Committee is also up and running. It is understood a list of volunteers willing to keep a check on the vulnerable, is being put together.
Cllr Deirdre Mackay said: “People are very anxious and individuals and communities are focussing on what they can do to support and help each other.
“Volunteers in our communities have been very quick to mobilise and put practical plans in place.
“This effort has been commended as we will be depending on each other for support for some time to come and we should be very proud, but perhaps not surprised, of the strong community spirit that has come to the force.
“We are working in unprecedented times, the pace of change is rapid and the situation is fluid. Activity is taking place at a range of levels and to be effective, this needs to be coordinated.”
Cllr Mackay said the function of the Emergency Liaison Group, which comprises officers from the emergency services, was to coordinate third sector and community support.
She added that she and her two ward colleagues, Richard Gale and Jim McGillivary, would be receiving regular updates from the group.
