It has been a huge shock to see the Prime Minister taken to urgent care with Covid-19 – the same shock thousands of people across the country face with loved ones affected by this terrible virus.
I wish the Prime Minister, and each and every person affected, all the very best and a swift recovery.
It was great to read about the recovery of Bill Dobie, 90 from Fylde, and his fulsome words of praise for the staff at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
Our NHS staff are outstanding and their efforts are nothing short of heroic at this time of crisis.
For all their sakes, and the sakes of all our relatives, please make sure you continue social distancing, and only leave the house for urgent food shopping or exercise.
I normally urge people to come to Fylde to spend time and money here – but the message now is simple. If your primary residence is not here, just stay away.
I have been in contact with several businesses this week, of various sizes and from different sectors, to ensure they are receiving the correct help from the Government. I understand the first grants are coming through within days via Fylde Council.
There is a full list of Government help available for individuals and businesses on my website www.markmenzies.org.uk and I would encourage everyone to have a look if they are concerned. It is updated on a daily basis as the Government announces more schemes. Given the speed of these announcements, the website is the best option to get up-to-date information out there – if I send a letter to every household, it will be out of date by the time it arrives.
These are unprecedented times, and an unprecedented amount of help is out there. Every day we see more and more aid announced to help those people who may ‘fall between the gaps’ and I am in touch with ministers regarding a number of cases in Fylde.
Last, may I wish you all a Happy Easter this weekend. Keep safe, maintain social distancing, and we will get through this together.