The leader of Staffordshire County Council is to call for the authority to "refocus and rise to the challenge" in the fight against Coronavirus.

Council Leader Alan White will make the call in a statement at the meeting of the council on Thursday next week (8th October).

It comes shortly after a range of new restrictions were introduced around the country in an effort to combat a new rise in cases of the virus, prompting concerns over a potential 'second wave'.

Around 7,000 cases of the virus are currently being reported nationally each day, and as of yesterday Staffordshire (excluding Stoke-on-Trent) had recorded a total of 5,138 Coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.

Cllr White's statement will give members an insight into what the fight against the virus in Staffordshire could look like over the next six months.

He is to say: "While many of us will have hoped that Covid-19 would have be consigned to history by now, sadly this is not the case, with the Prime Minister warning current restrictions could be in place for six months.

"On the eve of what is the 200th day since the Covid-19 "lockdown", we have seen how the virus once again is tightening its grip on the county and indeed on some of our neighbours.

"Two hundred days ago we were there for the vulnerable, supplying emergency food parcels to thousands of people and providing millions of items of PPE to help people care for the frail and elderly, many of who sadly lost their lives.

"We have achieved much since then, our schools are open, are businesses have welcomed back workers and our towns are no longer the ghost towns that they were, but we know that this can easily be snatched away.

"That's why as a county council we need to regroup, refocus and rise to the challenge of what lies ahead.

"We are a great team at the county council and I know as members and officers we will do what ever to protect our residents and keep Staffordshire open for business."

The council meeting begins at 10am on Thursday next week.