Vulnerable will be priority for Blackpool Council if coronavirus hits services

Town hall chiefs will concentrate on protecting Blackpool's most vulnerable residents from the impact of coronavirus as the number of cases increases, councillors have been told.
Town hall services could be hitTown hall services could be hit
Town hall services could be hit

Blackpool Council chief executive Neil Jack said the local authority would prioritise adult care and children's services if staff absences affected services.

Government has warned up to a fifth of the UK workforce could be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic.

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Mr Jack told a meeting of the council's audit committee the main risk for the council at the moment was the potential for staff to go off sick which would affect the delivery of services.

If this happened, plans were in place to protect areas such as home care and support for vulnerable people in the town.

The chief executive said there was "continuity work in terms of making sure all our services can continue".

Further down the line, the council would also play a role if people became confined to home, with the over 65s expected to be worst affected.

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He said while many people would be able to cope, "we may have people who cannot go out and who need help to manage food and medicine deliveries, and that is a role we may have to fulfill."

Mr Jack said a government budget of £5bn to tackle coronavirus was expected to mainly go to the NHS, but extra responsibility would fall on councils to provide social care so people did not have to stay in hospital.

He added the council was also taking practical steps to help staff work from home by providing IT and was introducing stronger cleaning regimes.

He said: "Additional cleaning is going on at all council buildings, particularly of areas which transmit infection for example touch points such as light switches, door openings and railings.

"The washing of hands and cleaning is one of the most practical things we can do."