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Because the situation with coronavirus, whose symptoms include fever, coughing and respiratory problems and which first broke out in the Chinese province of Wuhan, is dynamic, local authorities have to be prepared for any issues that might occur, said the borough’s Director of Public Health, Paul Butcher.

Mr Butcher said his directorate was working to guidance issued by Public Health England to councils and partner organisations including the police locally and nationally.

Calderdale was in a planning phase and it was hoped the virus – there have been two confirmed vases in the UK, both receiving specialised NHS treatment – would be contained.

A worker from a cleaning and disinfection service sprays disinfectant in a train as part of efforts to prevent the spread of a new virus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan (Photo by HONG YOON-GI/AFP via Getty Images)

Accordingly, the council was being “precautionary and proportionate” in its planning and considering the issue calmly, said Mr Butcher.

In line with Public Health England national guidelines, the advice to people is similar to the “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it” campaign used for flu and norovirus, which promotes important hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands and always sneezing into a tissue, to stem the spread of viruses.

HM Government and NHS-branded information will appear in radio and print media, as well as social media.

The campaign will advise the public to always carry tissues, use them to catch coughs and sneezes, and bin the tissue, and to wash hands with soap and water, or use sanitiser gel, to kill germs.

Public Health England says coronaviruses are common across the world and typical symptoms include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease, it says.

Mr Butcher said it was understandable that when people heard items about coronavirus on the news they are concerned, however most cases that had so far been reported around the world were mild.

How prepared is Calderdale if the Coronavirus is confirmed in the borough