AS the UK is braced for the potential spread of coronavirus, councils and organisations across the North-East and North Yorkshire are preparing their own action plans.

Last night warning that the NHS would come under "intense pressure," Professor Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer said the UK was now in the "delay phase" of tackling Covid-19.

But as the government works to contain the spread of the virus, The Northern Echo has asked councils in the North-East what they are doing to prepare in the event of an outbreak.

Darlington Borough Council 

A council spokesperson said: “The council understands that our residents may have concerns. We are monitoring the situation very closely and following government and Public Health England guidelines.

"Alongside local and national partners, we have plans in place to deal with this evolving situation.

“In the meantime, we urge Darlington residents to take the simple steps to protect themselves and follow the guidance especially around hygiene and hand washing.”

Durham County Council

Amanda Healy, director of public health, said: "Working closely with colleagues at Public Health England and the NHS.

"We are monitoring the situation and reviewing and testing our business continuity plans, including our plans as an organisation and our statutory duties as a local authority to protect the health of our communities.”

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

Councillor Steve Kay, Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Welfare, said: “We have been working closely with partners right across the region and the Government, via Public Health England.

"I am chairing regular Coronavirus Response meetings of officers and partners with the purpose of acting swiftly and effectively as the situation develops.

“The expert view is that the situation will worsen and we are planning for this scenario. In the meantime, we would encourage people to follow the Government’s advice which is simple and clear - wash your hands regularly and properly.”

North Yorkshire County Council

Richard Flinton, chair of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum and council chief executive, said: “In North Yorkshire we have well established, tried and tested partnership working practices which help us to manage the impact of very significant challenges and issues and to focus our joint resources where they are needed most.  

“By continuing this approach, we have the best possible chance of minimising impacts on our residents which is our shared single most important goal.

"Alongside the County Council, North Yorkshire’s local resilience forum includes Public Health England, regional Public Health, the NHS, the police, fire service and district councils.

"Together and with wider partners regular planning and scenario sessions are taking place based on the latest expert national guidance.

"Business continuity plans have been reviewed and detailed planning is being undertaken should we need to respond to a wide variety of impacts relating to Covid-19.

“Understandably this is a continuously evolving and fast moving situation – which is why the agencies are prioritising planning and responding to it as the public would expect.

"While we do not expect a worst case scenario, we are planning for it to ensure we are as prepared as possible should that be needed.”

Gateshead Council 

Gateshead’s Director of Public Health, Alice Wiseman, said: “The health and wellbeing of our residents is our main priority and we are working closely with Government and health authorities to prevent the spread of the virus within our communities.

"In the event of a local outbreak we will be following an agreed pandemic influenza plan and people should feel reassured we are monitoring the situation closely."

Sunderland City Council

Gillian Gibson, Director of Public Health, said: The health and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority and we are continuing to take our lead from Public Health England and to work closely with them and with other partners to monitor developments, communicate the latest guidance and prevent the virus from spreading.

"While we are not part of the front line response, we are following the advice and guidance from Public Health England and will be offering mutual aid as and when required. 

"We have established a cross council group to review and test our plans and are taking all the precautionary actions necessary to protect and support our communities in line with the Government’s published action plan."

South Tyneside Council

A council spokesperson said: "We understand that residents may have concerns about the coronavirus.

"We would like to reassure them that the government and the NHS are well prepared to deal with this virus and urge residents to follow their guidance, particularly around hygiene and hand-washing.

"The Council is working with its partners and we have plans in place to deal with the situation as it evolves. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and follow national and regional advice.”

Newcastle City Council 

A council spokesperson said: "We are working very closely with our partners including the NHS, Public Health England and Northumbria Police to ensure the city is best placed to respond to any risks of this virus spreading.

"We will continue to review our individual business continuity plans for key services which the most vulnerable in the city rely upon, such as adult social care, to minimise any potential disruption to our services.”

North Tyneside Council

Wendy Burke, Director of Public Health, North Tyneside Council, said: “We continue to work extremely closely with Public Health England and the NHS. We are following national guidance and we have structures in place for handling this sort of incident, for which we exercise and train for.”

Northumberland County Council

Liz Morgan, director of public health, said: "Maintaining the safety of residents in our county is our top priority and people in Northumberland can be reassured that we are working with our partners to closely monitor developments locally, nationally and internationally.

We are in regular contact with Public Health England to ensure that the very latest guidance is communicated and implemented, as the situation continues to develop.

"We have activated our business continuity plans as a council so we can plan for and manage any future scenario. Current evidence indicates that most cases are relatively mild, with patients experiencing flu-like symptoms.

"Older residents or those with weakened immune systems or long-term conditions may experience more severe symptoms, which is why it is important to help protect ourselves and each other.

"Our advice is for residents to continue to go about normal daily activities and take usual precautionary measures to prevent the spread of infection.

"Following Government guidance to take basic hygiene precautions remains the best way of significantly reducing the chances of spreading any virus - sneeze or cough into a tissue, bin it, wash your hands frequently and don’t touch your face unless you’ve just washed your hands. We should all be doing this at every opportunity every day as we should for flu."