Council leader calls on people of Leeds to stay home this Easter weekend

With good weather expected, people in the city would normally be out enjoying the sunshine, visiting attractions and taking part in outdoor activities together during the long weekend.

But Coun Judith Blake (Lab) is calling on everyone in the city to continue to follow the national rules on staying at home and respecting social distancing in order to help save lives in the current coronavirus crisis.

She added the council had ‘major concerns’ over the lack of personal protective equipment available to key health and care staff.

Coun Blake said: “We know the current situation is challenging for all of us, and if the weather is nice people will want to go out but it is absolutely crucial that people play their part over the Easter weekend by staying home and following the rules to help save lives and protect the NHS.

“While most people are doing the right thing we know there is unfortunately a minority who are disregarding the rules and think they don’t apply to them. I would say to those people please stop so we can all get through this as quickly as possible and help minimise the number of lives lost.

“I would like to thank everyone who is working incredibly hard to keep our city running and especially our heroic NHS and care staff, the key front-line workers and everyone who has volunteered to help. It has been really humbling to see how people from all communities and walks of life are coming together to make the best of this very strange and awful situation.”

She added: “We do continue to have major concerns around the lack of personal protective equipment for key health and care staff which must be addressed quickly, and the testing programme for Covid-19 needs to be made as fast and comprehensive as possible.

“As a council we remain firmly committed to doing everything we possibly can to help our people and businesses get through this difficult time as best we can, and if remain resolute and united to defeat this virus together we will succeed.”

Leeds City Council claimed it is directly contacting more than 1,800 people who have requested help to get supplies, and that all have been sent a text or email to make sure they know that they can call the helpline number: 0113 378 1877.

A total of 585 have so far received a basic box delivered to their door, with others supported through volunteer-assisted shopping and emergency food deliveries arranged locally.