Al Manaar to host Covid-19 information event this weekend

Published: Friday 22 January 2021

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North Kensington’s faith communities are doing their bit to tackle a spike in Covid-19 cases and misinformation about the vaccine by joining forces with public health experts for an online information event this Sunday (24 January).

Organised by Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre Trust, Sunday’s free Zoom session will see experts from the NHS, Public Health England and Kensington and Chelsea Council separate the fact from the fiction about Covid-19 and immunisation.

The panel will provide accurate, reliable information as they answer questions from the public and discuss topics including Covid-19’s symptoms, its impact on the local community, how the vaccines work and how immunisation is being carried out in Kensington and Chelsea.

Abdurahman Sayed, CEO of Al-Manaar Muslim Heritage Centre, said:

“There has been some confusion and conspiracy theories around Covid-19 and the vaccination and that is worrying when the virus is spreading around the country and in our community in North Kensington in particular.

“We want to bring the right people together so that health professionals can provide accurate, reliable information and assurance.”

The Coronavirus Vaccination: Questions Explored session takes place from 5pm to 6.30pm on Sunday 24 January and is open to all. To attend, join online via Zoom - the meeting ID is 868 8767 9435 and the passcode is 131424. Members of the public can ask questions in advance by emailing [email protected]. For more information, visit almanaar.org.uk.

The speakers at Sunday’s event are:

  • Umar Ebrahimsa (Specialist Registrar Infectious Diseases and General Medicine);
  • Samira Ben Omar (Assistant Director of Equalities);
  • Prof Saheer Gharbia (Covid Genomics Lead, Public Health England);
  • Dr Manpreet Bains (GP & Associate Director Neohealth);
  • Dr. Yasmin Razak (Clinical Director, Neohealth Primary Care Network);
  • Jeffrey Lake (Deputy Director of Public Health, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and City of Westminster).

Kensington and Chelsea is encouraging all key workers and people who cannot work from home and have no symptoms to get tested regularly at one of its three testing centres for asymptomatic people.