Yorkshire and UK can take pride in response to coronavirus crisis

Yorkshire and UK can take pride in response to coronavirus crisis - The Yorkshire Post says

There has been an understandable focus in recent days on poor reactions to the coronavirus pandemic - from people failing to observe distancing measures to those stockpiling much-needed goods for themselves and business owners like Wetherspoons’ Tim Martin and Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley prioritising profit over public safety.

West Yorkshire Police on patrol along Briggate, Leeds, as the nation is on lockdown due to ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Picture: James Hardisty.

But it is also vital to hail the heroic efforts of millions of people who will lead us out of this crisis; the NHS doctors and nurses risking their lives on the frontline, the delivery drivers keeping supply chains going and household cupboards stocked and the volunteers going out of their way to assist elderly and vulnerable neighbours.

The national effort that lies before us is a great one and so it is heartening to see the growing and extraordinary response across this region which is coming in many forms. This includes the scientists in Sheffield who have been sequencing the genomes of Covid-19 and are now part of a UK consortium helping to develop a vaccine to those at companies big and small who are putting their efforts and ingenuity into helping the nation at this time of crisis. Chemicals giant Ineos is building a new plant in just 10 days on the North Yorkshire border near Middlesbrough that will produce one million bottles per month of urgently-required hand sanitiser, while the Harrogate Tipple gin distillery is also making the vital product.

The lockdown measures which have been introduced across the country have many painful side-effects for countless people and there can be little doubt that the economic repercussions facing the nation and the world in dealing with this global health crisis will be great. But given the extraordinary changes to our way of life imposed in such a short space of time, we can take great pride in the response of Yorkshire - and the country as a whole - to an unprecedented challenge.