A message to our readers from the East Devon MP, Simon Jupp

My thoughts are with Boris Johnson following his admission to intensive care on Monday.

This is a stark reminder of the foe we face and a wake-up call to everyone to follow the clear instruction to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

We are truly living in tough times. I returned home to Sidmouth at the earliest opportunity and I’ve been working seven days a week to help constituents access government funding and return from far-flung places.

Whether you are a well-established firm employing hundreds of people or a small family business, this virus has caused a great deal of anguish as profits evaporate and income dwindles. The Government has offered a wide range of schemes and I’ve been working with businesses across East Devon who’ve contacted me because they’ve not been able to access the support they need.

I hope everyone recognises the speed in which support for jobs and our economy were put in place by the Government. The situation we face is no easy task for any government and alongside my colleagues in Parliament, I’ve worked hard to highlight areas where further support for individuals and businesses is needed. As a result of examples from East Devon and beyond, we’ve seen significant improvements made to the Job Retention and Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

My small team and I continue to receive hundreds of emails a day and we’re working through them as quickly as we can, prioritising urgent cases, as you’d expect. For example, I have recently intervened in cases where care homes have been abandoned by their usual food supply company, and put them in touch with local providers.

I’m acutely aware of the concerns about the strain on our precious health service and I’m in regular touch with NHS leaders and frontline staff to understand the situation on the ground in our hospitals. The availability of PPE in our hospitals is something I’m monitoring closely to ensure any concerns are addressed quickly.

I have published a list of the volunteer community support groups setup in towns and villages across East Devon on www.simonjupp.org.uk. I’ve also signed up to help in my community and want to thank everyone for playing their part to defeat this virus.

I’m proud to represent an area which has rallied around its communities, demonstrating the determination we need to get through this, together.

SIMON JUPP, MP