Resilience Partners are working together across the Highlands and Islands

At today’s meeting of the Highlands and Islands Local Resilience Partnership (HILRP) (Coronavirus/COVID-19,) members reviewed the emerging guidance from the Scottish Government on self and household isolation and the imminent closure of schools and nurseries which will impact on the staffing levels of all organisations and their capacity to carry out even core activities.

Resilience Partnership members are currently exploring how staff can be redeployed from business as usual, as part of the response to limiting the spread of the virus, into other areas where staffing is proving challenging. The group is also looking at appropriate roles for volunteers.

The aim of the national measures is to slow down the spread of the virus.

Ken Oates,  Consultant in Public Health at NHS Highland said:

“This is a rapidly evolving situation, which is without precedent. Sharing information across the Local Resilience Partnership and working together is the most effective way to help keep our communities and our staff safe.”

Chief Executive of Highland Council and Chair of the HILRP, Donna Manson added:

“As Resilience Partners, we have worked closely and successfully together for many years in the Highlands and Islands. We will continue, in this unprecedented situation, to support one another and do the best we can for the safety and protection of our communities and our staff. Work that also begins right now is planning for Recovery and how we can rebuild the economy and resilience of the region following what is going to be an extremely challenging period ahead of us all.”