Pendle News Room

Last night (Monday 23 March) the Government gave clear instructions that we must stay at home to stop the coronavirus from spreading.

People are only allowed to leave their home for the following very limited purposes:

• shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
• one form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household
• any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person; and
• travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.

If your friends ask you to meet, you should say no and you should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home.

You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine - and you should do this as little as you can.

Councillor Iqbal added: “Those who are most vulnerable are a priority for us as well as businesses who are under great pressure to get through this unprecedented period of uncertainty.

“Our message to you all is we’re here and we’ll do all we can to help you.”

As many of our residents self-isolate, some without a circle of friends or family to help them, we’re creating a community hub to co-ordinate support for the most vulnerable people who need it.

Organisations, businesses, groups and individuals who can offer help and services will also be brought together to offer practical and emotional support.

We welcome the Government’s package of business support and we’ll be doing all we can to make sure that our businesses can access the support they need as easily as possible.

Councillor Iqbal added: “By co-ordinating our efforts, we can help everyone face this challenge knowing that despite the measures we must follow, we are not alone.

“I am confident that by working together and supporting one other we can emerge as a stronger, more resilient community.”

Dean Langton, Chief Executive of Pendle Council, said: “This is unchartered territory but I want to reassure you that we’re working behind the scenes so that we can continue to keep essential services going where we can, in particular our bin collections.

“Our refuse collectors are doing a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances and I want to thank them for their efforts.”

Local people can access more than 100 Pendle Council services online - www.pendle.gov.uk/doitonline

And Pendle Council’s website shows what help is available for individuals and businesses and how to get the latest health advice about the coronavirus www.pendle.gov.uk/coronavirus

There’s also a dedicated webpage on any changes to Council services and advice on how to safely dispose of waste for anyone with symptoms of the coronavirus www.pendle.gov.uk/disruptions

We’re updating our website regularly with all the latest information as soon as we have it so please keep checking it.