Grim milestone of 10,000 deaths underlines UK’s desperate battle - The Yorkshire Post says

Sadly, that tragic tally is likely to rise even further, according to the director of the Wellcome Trust, Sir Jeremy Farrar. His belief that our country could end up the worst affected in Europe is a deeply concerning prospect.

Yet there are some positives in the overall picture, and it is on those that Britain should concentrate, even though they are scant comfort to families and friends grieving for loved ones who have died.

The Government’s scientific advisers point to no acceleration in the overall numbers of people developing Covid 19, which they believe is evidence that the lockdown is gradually achieving its intention of slowing the spread of infection.

Yesterday’s return of the first of 15,000 retired NHS staff to frontline duties is a massive boost to the effort to save lives, bolstered by Britain’s people overwhelmingly obeying the instruction to stay at home over the Easter weekend.

And the mooted return of Parliament next week, albeit in virtual form, is very much to be welcomed, although the Prime Minister, still recovering from his hospitalisation, is not likely to participate.

It is time for a reasoned debate about how the country exits lockdown, not in an atmosphere of rancour, but with consensus, and it is heartening that the new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, is displaying a sensible willingness to work with the Government.

Yet many challenges remain in managing this pandemic. One is the funerals of its victims, and it is encouraging to see that York Council has at least partially revoked its limitation on the numbers of those who can attend.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor