Leading emergency services, local authorities and other key workers across the region are making a call for Teesside to play its part. Responding to the need for continued commitment to government advice to adhere to social distancing.
Middlesbrough and the Tees Valley has been highlighted as one of the England’s most likely hotspots to ignore government advice to stay home, save lives and protect the NHS. With an estimated population of almost 700,000. A recent survey indicated that around 25% of people in the town of Middlesbrough will ignore the official advice.
The North East region is reported to have the highest coronavirus infection rate in the UK. With just over 9,000 confirmed cases to date.
Now local key workers from across Teesside have joined forces to issue a plea. To ensure their towns do not continue to top a table of communities that have flouted the rules. Leading to a further spread of the disease.
Staff from local NHS Trusts, the police and fire services, local authorities, local media and shop workers have released a Teesside-centric collaborative message across the region. Asking people to keep going, to stay safe and ultimately save lives. You can watch the video on our YouTube channel.
The key workers campaign message
The campaign echoes the sentiments of one local NHS Foundation Trust. North Tees and Hartlepool, who issued a similar drive in early April. Julie Gillon, Chief Executive of the trust comments “when our initial campaign was launched we wanted to ensure our region would be safe. That our services would be future proofed. We now need to come together as key workers more than ever to protect the Teesside population. To keep our key worker colleagues safe. As a combined voice, working together we can enact this”.
Chief Superintendent Thom McLoughlin, Head of Local Policing at Cleveland Police, said: “The Government continues to require people to stay home and only go out if they need to fetch food or medicine. To go to work if it’s essential or to exercise. Even when you leave your home. You need to continue social distancing and keep at least two metres away from other people. To protect yourself and others.
“Cleveland Police would like to once again thank the vast majority of local residents for working with us and partner organisations at this difficult time. We’ve been supporting over half a million people in the Cleveland area. To do the right thing and help save lives. Their response has been heroic.”
The video will be released alongside a series of images that offer suggestions about what two metres apart might mean for a Teessider. From ten Teesside parmos. To 25 lemon tops. 10 copies of a James Arthur LP. To the length of Boro player Dael Fry, stood on a football. The key worker teams across the Tees Valley will work to share the messages across all of their social media accounts over the weekend. Driving home the message ‘this isn’t over yet, don’t undo the good work to date’.