Our collective public duty to lessen coronavirus risks – The Yorkshire Post says

Alert – not alarm – has been Boris Johnson’s mantra as Ministers prepare for the day when they might have to put the country on lockdown as a public health precaution.

And while the Stock Market is taking a major hit, Richmond MP Rishi Sunak will take steps in tomorrow’s Budget – his first as Chancellor – to insulate the economy from the virus.

However politicians will also require the wider public’s co-operation as the threat grows to those most susceptible to the Covid-19 strain – regrettably it is clear, from the first deaths in the UK, that the elderly and seriously ill are especially vulnerable.

This is why everyone has a public responsibility to heed common sense precautions over handwashing, and use of hand sanitisers, rather than blithely assuming that they’re impregnable. Their loved ones, neighbours or colleagues might not be so resilient or fortunate. One act of selfishness could, potentially, be a matter of life and death.

It is why people should be more considerate of others when stocking up on supermarket essentials – some of the greed, panic and haste witnessed in Yorkshire stores is making it harder for senior citizens, the very people who might have to self-isolate for their own good, to buy everyday items.

And this, in turn, is further reason for families and residents to look out for their neighbours and make sure they have support, and a helping hand, at a time when the NHS and social care will be stretched to breaking point. If everyone shows a level of community responsibility and compassion, it will help the Government’s with its thankless efforts to minimise the impact of coronavirus on the nation’s health and prosperity.