Yorkshire councils precautionary efforts at tackling the coronavirus

Local authorities say they are working together to try to continue delivering priority services to residents.

A senior leadership team has also been established by North Yorkshire County Council to oversee the authority’s response to the coronavirus.

The team's focus is to make sure the most vulnerable residents are supported and the authority continues to deliver priority services.

Authorities including North Yorkshire, Bradford and Sheffield say they are carrying out extra cleaning of desks, keyboards and phones to try to stop the virus spreading.

“Business continuity plans have been reviewed and detailed planning is being undertaken should we need to respond to a wide variety of impacts relating to Covid-19.

“Understandably this is a continuously evolving and fast moving situation – which is why the agencies are prioritising planning and responding to it as the public would expect.”

Bradford Council said it was trying to reduce risks and have put plans in place to prevent further spreading of the virus in the workplace.

This includes sharing key messages with staff, community groups, public about the importance of hand washing, hand sanitisers, and ensuring work areas are cleaned.

A spokesman for the authority said: “Bradford Council is working closely with Public Health England, the NHS and all our health and care partners to ensure there is minimum risk to our service delivery, people and businesses across the district.”

Sheffield Council aid any staff who have returned from any “at risk areas” in the last two weeks have also been told they need to self isolate.

Greg Fell, Director for Public Health, said: “We are proactively putting soap and hand sanitiser dispensers in council buildings and continue to encourage all staff to follow NHS 111 advice, washing their hands and the catch it, bin it, kill it approach.”

“Anyone who has concerns about taking sick leave and their pay should refer to the national guidance online.”

The Leeds authority have also created a senior leadership team to develop and implement contingency plans to cover a range of possible scenarios that may impact the city.

"The council is working with partners to build on city wide and council service response plans and these plans are being updated in line with new information as it becomes available," a spokesperson for Leeds Council said.

"This planning places us in the best possible position given the resources and information available to respond and mitigate any relevant risks to council services and to provide what support we can to individuals, families, communities and businesses affected.

"While we will do everything we can to mitigate the impact on services, we are asking that people are understanding of the pressures that health and social care systems, and other council services, may be under, now and in the future, and receptive to any changes that may be needed."