Mark Williams, the chief executive of East Devon District Council (EDDC) and Councillor Ben Ingham, the leader of the council, have put out a message to all residents.
They said: “We are currently faced with one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime with a rapidly changing situation that poses fresh problems at every turn.
“To overcome these problems every one of us must play our part in helping beat the coronavirus pandemic.
“We will need to be resilient, resourceful and courageous to make it through the difficult months ahead.
“We need to work together, to help each other wherever possible and, above all, to ‘keep calm and carry on’.”
The pair reassured residents that the council’s commitment to provide critical services remains steadfast.
They added that every single member of staff was playing their part and working tirelessly to ensure that, despite multiple challenges, important services were being delivered to the best of their ability.
They said: “There will undoubtedly be service areas that may have to be discontinued, so I would ask for your patience and understanding as we focus our resources in the areas where they are needed most.
“We are committed to doing whatever is needed to help people directly and to support our communities to find ways to respond quickly.”
Health advice: Wash your hands, for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water regularly and cough and sneeze into tissues, before binning and washing your hands.
The latest Government advice is for people to stay at home, except in very limited circumstances.
You can leave your house for one of the following reasons:
• Shopping for basic necessities
• One form of exercise a day
• Any medical need
• Travelling to and from work
You should not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital and you do not need to contact NHS 111 to tell them you are staying at home. Testing for coronavirus is not needed if you are staying at home.
