The message is consistent, the message is simple: Please – stay home, protect the NHS, and save lives
When Prime Minister Boris Johnson emerged from the front door of ten Downing Street this morning it was to make a plea to the public to stick with the plan and accept lockdown for a little longer.
He was echoing the call made over the weekend by the NHS, care providers, councils, police, fire and ambulance services from across Sussex whose impassioned plea to the public is that they continue to stay at home to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
In an open letter, public services across Sussex urge local communities to stick with Government advice and play their part in combatting the pandemic.
The letter, from Sussex Local Resilience Forum Chair, Assistant Chief Constable Dave Miller begins: “To our local communities, we need your help…Please, stay home, protect the NHS, and save lives.”
It goes on to outline the efforts of key workers right across Sussex including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals…working around the clock to save lives and whose families “worry about them too”.
The letter has been endorsed by leaders from key public services around the county including the Council Leaders of the three local authorities, the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Fire Officers, the Chief Executive of the South East Coast Ambulance Service and the NHS Covid-19 leader for Sussex.
These public agencies and others across Sussex are working together and with the military, private and voluntary sectors, as part of the Sussex LRF to combine and co-ordinate efforts to help protect the public.
The letter is supported by a video (see above), featuring personal pleas from doctors, nurses, social workers, paramedics, firefighters other frontline workers tasked with the job of keeping Sussex safe during the pandemic, asking people to work with them as #SussexTogether.
The full letter says:
To our local communities,
Please, stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.
Across Sussex, all of our organisations are working hard to keep you safe and well and make sure you get the essential services you need.
We are your NHS, your care providers, your councils, your police, fire and ambulance services, working together with the military, private and voluntary services to protect you and prevent deaths in our county from Covid-19.
Our staff are working hard to prevent the spread of the virus. Our nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals are working around the clock to save lives.
Our key workers are putting themselves forward every day to ensure people can be cared for, children educated and looked after, and communities given access to the things they need.
We thank you for all that you are doing to support us.
The most important thing you can do is to continue following the social distancing rules.
Thank you for helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Sussex.
Together, we will get through this.
Stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.
#SussexTogether
Thank you.
ACC Dave Miller
Sussex Resilience Forum Chair
The letter is endorsed by:
- Council Leader Cllr Nancy Platts, Brighton and Hove City Council
- Council Leader Keith Glazier, East Sussex County Council
- Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council including West Sussex Fire and Rescue and Service
- Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE
- Giles York QPM, Chief Constable, Sussex Police
- Philip Astle, Chief Executive, SECAmb
- Dawn Whittaker, Chief Fire Officer, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
- Adam Doyle, Chief Executive of the Sussex NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and Sussex NHS Covid-19 Lead
And people are reminded that anyone can spread Coronavirus with the only reasons to leave home being:
- To shop for basic necessities or pick up medicine
- To travel to work when you absolutely cannot work from home
- To exercise once a day, alone or with members of your household
- Do not meet others, even friends or family
