Coronavirus: Derry councillor Sandra Duffy calls for volunteer pool to fight COVID-19 pandemic

Sinn Féin's group leader on Derry City and Strabane District Council, Sandra Duffy, said she expected the community to come increasingly under pressure during the pandemic.

"Those who contract the virus will have to take time off work to self-isolate while others will require assistance in areas such as childminding or looking after the elderly.

"This will be more manageable if you have can work from home, but unfortunately for some professions, this is not possible and these are some of the most important roles as we move forward.

"These are the caring roles of visiting the elderly or vulnerable in their own homes, bringing them meals, getting them in and out of bed and generally providing them with a friendly face, other roles are those working within homeless hostels and community facilities and those in the service and retail sectors," she said.

Councillor Duffy said anyone fit and able should consider volunteering in the event of a particularly disruptive peak in cases.

"If those in these sectors have to take time off the services they provide will still need to be performed.

"That is why I am calling on those in these sectors to start now to identify volunteers and relief workers to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community are not left without care.

"I also appeal to the public if they are fit and healthy with no underlying health issues to consider volunteering for one of these roles. We're all in this together and with a little consideration we can avoid the worst of this crisis."