Liverpool’s Mayor Joe Anderson has issued an unprecedented rallying cry to the city’s residents and businesses in a bid to mobilise a “community army” to tackle the Coronavirus challenge.
The Mayor has instructed the city council to set up two hotlines – one to recruit a volunteer army, the other to identify and help the city’s most vulnerable.
He is also calling on the city’s businesses community and voluntary organisations to register their support to assist communities overcome the pandemic over the coming weeks and months.
The two telephone hotlines go live at 2pm today, just as the Mayor begins chairing Liverpool’s Health and Wellbeing Board which will discuss the city’s latest plans to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
The volunteer hotline is 0151 233 3068. Key tasks identified will be for people to help deliver medication to those in self-isolation, or check in with neighbours. This phone line can also be used to volunteer for Liverpool Foodbanks who require lots of volunteers across the city.
The support hotline is 0151 233 3066. This has been established for anyone to call who feels they need support with a range of basic tasks because they don’t have a support network – friends and family – in place.
Both hotlines will be manned from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.
People can also sign up online via Liverpool City Council’s website: www.liverpool.gov.uk/coronavirus
For the latest information and advice, Liverpool City Council has also set up an online portal – www.liverpool.gov.uk/coronavirus
It has also established dedicated social media feeds at www.facebook.com/covidliverpool and www.twitter.com/covidliverpool
