Yorkshire on high alert
EMERGENCY PLANS are in place and health authorities on high alert as the new coronavirus continues to spread across the UK.
In the UK, authorities have raised the risk level from low to moderate, following the World Health Organisation’s ruling that the virus is a “public health emergency of international concern”.
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise, we take a look at practical ways to keep yourself and your family protected from the virus.
Health boards across Yorkshire have reported high numbers of calls from concerned patients, and NHS 111 have warned of long waiting times.
Denise Jeffery, leader of Wakefield Council, said that preparing for a local outbreak
“The public perception of risk is probably greater than the actual risk.” Paul Butcher
was the latest of a series of crises to hit the district, following on from a series of floods and fires in recent weeks.
She said: “We shall be having briefings for elected members on Tuesday and Thursday and we shall be keeping up to date with what’s happening.
“It seems like one crisis after another for the district at the moment.
“Andrew (Balchin, corporate director for health) and I will be co-ordinating the response. We’ll keeping an eye on what happens.”
It comes as schools across Yorkshire, including Wakefield’s Crofton Academy, asked pupils to self-isolate following ski trips over the half term holidays.
The Mid Yorkshire NHS trust also confirmed that they have prepared a number of ‘pods’, which will allow any coronavirus patients to be treated in isolation.
In Kirklees, parents were advised to continue sending their children to school as norma, while patients at a number of GP surgeries reported receiving test messages featuring advice.
Speaking at a meeting last week, Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Health Paul Butcher said: “The public perception of risk is probably greater than the actual risk.
“The Public Health team is receiving a high volume of calls about COVID-19 from external agencies, with a dozen calls received in the last two days.
“Concern appears to be highest in the education sector at present, largely due to the rapidly developing situation in Italy following halfterm ski-ing holidays.
“The Communications Team are also receiving calls concerning COVID-19 from local and national press teams.”
He noted that areas such as Calderdale and Wakefield may have an additional protective factor in that they do not have any ports of entry from abroad.