THURROCK Council leader Rob Gledhill has spoken for the first time about his exemption from wearing a face mask in the wake of a Thurrock Nub News story last week that highlighted criticism of him and the allegation that he is a hypocrite by another councillor.

In our story we quoted independent councillor Gary Byrne, who questioned by Cllr Gledhill – a consistent speaker through his weekly blog supporting covid prevention measures - and criticsed him and other councillors for not wearing masks at the meeting in a room that had little visible ventilation.

We also reported the fact that Cllr Gledhill had travelled to Norfolk last Christmas to be with his girlfriend while other families in the borough were barred by the rules about travel. Cllr Gledhill has denied that he broke any rules – which at the time did allow people living alone to travel to enter a support bubble, but Cllr Gledhill is believed to have made several trips back and forth by rail – a round trip of around at least 170 miles - interacting with people outside that bubble.

Since then Cllr Gledhill has gone on to say: "It is up to all of us as individuals to follow the rules and guidance that are in place to keep ourselves, our loved ones and each other safe."

Speaking at last week's cabinet meeting Cllr Gledhill made reference to the new government directives on covid and also the wearing of masks. At the meeting, which took place in a room with open windows, he and his colleagues elected not to wear masks, which was permissible at the time. It is slightly unclear whether rules that came in yesterday (Friday, 10 December, would mean councillors would have had to wear masks at such a meeting.

Speaking about the change in rules he said: "That explains why my colleagues are not wearing face coverings now, but that will change on Friday.

"The wearing of masks applies to people unless that person is exempt, just like myself. They do not need to show any written evidence or do not need to show any exemption card nor any form of identification.

"Whenever a face mask order is in force, I have chosen to wear my lanyard to show that I am mask exempt."

In his regular Friday blog via the council's website and subscription service, Cllr Gledhill went on to detail the latest measures.

He said: "The government has now confirmed that additional measures and precautions are coming into force to help slow the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

"Omicron is now present throughout the UK, it is being transmitted through communities and is being found in people with no links to travel abroad.

"This is not a cause for alarm or panic but should serve as a warning that we need to be careful, follow both the existing and the new rules and guidance and ensure that we protect ourselves and others.

"Under the new rules face coverings will be required in more indoor public spaces, everyone who can work from home should do so and the NHS COVID pass will be required for entry to certain entertainment venues.

"The best way to protect yourself, your family and loved ones is to make sure that you seek the protection offered by the vaccine. Just this week the booster vaccine became available to everyone over 40 years-old three months after their second dose.

"I myself had my booster a few weeks ago. It was easy to book, the vaccine centre was easy to reach and the entire procedure was entirely painless. Some people may get side effects, but in the vast majority of cases they are mild and short-lived and pale in comparison to the symptoms of COVID-19. This is especially true for the serious illnesses that they are extremely effective at preventing.

"The vaccines boost immunity and offer better protection, even if you have already had a natural infection. In fact, current evidence suggests that the vaccines may offer far more protection against the Omicron variant than a natural infection of the Delta variant does because Omicron has more in common with the original strain the vaccines were first developed for.

"By taking up the offer of the vaccine you are thinking of others while also protecting yourself, and you will be joining the majority of people in the UK who have now taken advantage of the extra protection they offer.

"It is up to all of us as individuals to follow the rules and guidance that are in place to keep ourselves, our loved ones and each other safe. We need to ensure we all play our part in slowing the spread so that experts have the time to study the new variant and find out what they need to develop a long-term plan."