THE Government’s detailed Covid-19 recovery strategy makes it clear that there will be no relaxation for the majority of tourism businesses in Whitby until July at the earliest.

The safety of residents remains Whitby Town Council’s priority. For now, tourism businesses in Whitby remain closed and we urge everyone to continue to stay at home and not compromise the safety of others.

We are now in step one of this plan; people may exercise outside as many times each day as they wish and may drive to outdoor open spaces irrespective of distance, so long as they respect social distancing guidance while they are there. But potential visitors must accept that some public spaces may not be available, because these cannot be used safely.

The public open spaces in Whitby are managed, among others, by the borough council and the county council. They will be responsible for assessing public safety in line with the new Covid-19 Secure guidelines - when these are published.

Local people are concerned because Whitby is not built for social distancing. It is important that everyone acts responsibly and doesn’t overwhelm Whitby while we all get to grips with step one of the Government’s plan.

Thank you to everyone for supporting Whitby and North Yorkshire at this difficult time. We can’t wait to welcome you all back again, but only once it’s safe to do so and our hotels, pubs, restaurants and attractions are open.

Cllr Linda Wild, Town Mayor of Whitby.