COVID-19: Stay at home. An open letter from North East Lincolnshire leading figures

COVID-19: Stay at home. An open letter from North East Lincolnshire leading figures

Stay at home – three simple words, but a key message we all need to heed to protect our loved ones right now and right across North East Lincolnshire.

As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads and the Government continues to oversee the national response, all of us are doing everything we can to support local communities.

But you, as members of those communities, also need to do your bit to protect your family, friends and neighbours- be that grandparents, parents or even your children.

Many of you will have older relatives who fought bravely in the field during wars to keep us all safe – this is a war of a different sort, with an invisible enemy, but now is the time for us all to step up and do what’s needed. You can all be heroes on that front.

The phrase “Social Distancing’’ is new to all our worlds, but it’s hugely important we listen to the advice from our wonderful health service to avoid some incredibly difficult consequences.

Social distancing means physically staying apart from each other as infections spread easily in closed spaces where people gather together. This includes avoiding large and small gatherings in public spaces, avoiding non-essential use of public transport, working from home and wherever possible avoiding gatherings with friends and family. If you really do need to see people, make sure you keep at least two metres apart.

It’s best if you imagine you might have the virus and change your behaviour to prevent other people catching it from you and becoming seriously poorly.

The alternative is the potential for the NHS to be over-run, not just in looking after Covid-19 patients, but in not having the capacity to treat us all so brilliantly on a daily basis. Do we really want that?

You may not think that this affects us here in North East Lincolnshire, but once cases start to appear, in other areas it’s been shown that the virus spreads rapidly.

All of us are shocked at the speed of this outbreak, but by us working together and doing the right thing – collectively, individually and driven by equal degrees of resilience and kindness – we will get through this major public health challenge.

We thank all those playing their part in keeping the country safe and working in essential industries.  Now it’s time for you to do what you can.

Thank you for everything you can all do and stay safe.

Joint signatories: Martin Vickers, MP; Lia Nici, MP; Philip Jackson, Leader, NELC; Stephen Pintus, Director of Public Health; Dr Peter Melton, Clinical Chief Officer NHS North East Lincolnshire CCG; Dr Peter Reading, Chief Executive Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust; Jane Lewington, Chief Executive, Navigo; and Ian Holloway, Grimsby Town FC.

Article and image from NELC.

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