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The coronavirus pandemic has now been classed as a ‘major incident’ as emergency services, NHS staff and local authorities brace themselves for rising cases and deaths.

The Humber Local Resilience Forum (Humber LRF), set up to detail with large-scale emergencies, has stepped up its preparations by looking at the number of hospital beds available and even the mortuary capacity.

The forum brings together all various agencies and organisations to plan for and respond to large incidents and emergencies such as flooding, a significant industrial fire or in this case, a health pandemic. Follow live updates on the coronavirus outbreak here.

More than 25,000 people across the UK have tested positive for Covid-19, although the numbers in Hull and East Yorkshire are among the lowest in the country.

Three people are known to have died in East Yorkshire after testing positive for coronavirus. All had underlying health conditions.

Chairman of the Humber LRF is Humberside Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Chris Blacksell, who said: “Thankfully the number of deaths is still relatively low compared to other areas of the country and across Europe.

(Image: Peter Harbour)

“Sadly, we must accept that this figure will rise significantly in the coming weeks and months, but we are doing everything we can to slow the spread of the virus in our region by working together.

“We plan for every eventuality, even the worse ones. Multiple injuries or mass fatalities is never something you expect or obviously want to ever deal with, but all of our partner agencies plan for this.

“Like other areas of the country, we are looking closely at the number of hospital beds likely to be required and even the capacity of local mortuaries.

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“We always hoped that the day would never arrive to even have to consider such measures as mortuary increases, but we are sure that the public would prefer us to be prepared for such an eventuality and to be able to treat their lost loved ones with dignity regardless of how this situation develops.”

Mr Blacksell insists working with organisations across Hull and the East Riding is vital to address the emergency situation.

He said: “As a local resilience forum, we are in the best place to share data and support each other so that we can help those who most need it through this unprecedented situation.

“We are running our response to this emergency, which we have formally declared as a major incident locally, through a daily strategic coordination group which includes other partners such as Port Health Authorities and private sector partners like KCOM.”

NHS staff, lorry drivers, post office workers and bus drivers are rightly being praised for their unwavering efforts in the face of a deadly, unpredictable virus.

Support our NHS Heroes The NHS is the very best of us. We watch in awe as they work tirelessly to care for us during these unprecedented times. We’ve never relied on them more. We’ve never needed to thank them more and that's what our Help For Heroes initiative is about. You can show how much you appreciate their efforts by sending them some love, on our Thanks A Million Map https://www.thanksamillionnhs.co.uk/ Simply add your message of support and send a heart to your postcode area. You can zoom around the map to see how many people from communities around Britain are supporting it, and read other messages. If you're a member of NHS staff you'll find a dedicated section of discounts and money-off deals, just for you, too. But alongside appreciation, the NHS also needs our help - from PPE, to food to keep them going during shifts, medical supplies and more - money can make a big difference. So we have launched NHS Heroes Help From Home - a nationwide drive to raise funds for our NHS frontline, that everyone can get involved in. How it works: Donate to NHS Heroes Help From Home from just £2

As a thank you, everyone who donates will be entered into the weekly NHS Heroes Raffle

Winners are announced every Thursday at 8:05pm.

If you’re a winner, choose to keep your prize or gift to an NHS hero of your choice

Find out more at: https://donate.thanksamillionnhs.co.uk/ or click the link on the Thanks a Million map to go direct to the donation site Where do the funds go: Funds raised are in aid of the NHS Charities COVID-19 Appeal, set up by NHS Charities Together. Donations will help take care of the immediate well-being of our NHS frontline heroes as well as provide essential longer-term mental health support . 94% of all donations will go to NHS Charities Together’s COVID-19 Appeal. The remaining 6% will cover the cost of payment processing fees.

Meanwhile, Humberside Police are still patrolling our streets and responding to 999 and 101 calls. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and regional ambulance services continue to provide around the clock fire and paramedic cover on both sides of the Humber.

Local authorities are becoming the hubs for social care and are providing support and advice around such varied things as business support and mental health.

These organisations are not only working in their own areas but are coming together every day to plan the next phase of the battle against Covid-19.

Mr Blacksell has reiterated the Government guidance on social distancing and isolation to halt the spread of the virus.

He said: “The messages put out by central government and locally by the police and local authorities to self-isolate and avoid large gatherings in public are being heard and adhered to by the public. I want to thank the vast majority of people who are staying at home and practicing good social distancing.

“To those who continue to flout the advice, I would say that the threat from this virus is very real and if we can stop it spreading so quickly, we can take pressure off our NHS and save many lives. Please follow the guidelines issued nationally and locally.

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“All agencies have implemented strict procedures to minimize contamination risk to our staff so that we can continue to provide the best possible service to the public.

“On behalf of those staff, and those other key workers in the private sector such as shop workers, delivery drivers and many more, I would like to thank the public for their co-operation and appeal for everyone to continue to demonstrate patience and support for those who are providing vital services

“Only by working closely together in these unprecedented times will we be able to save as many lives as we possibly can.”