Wakefield Hospice to closely monitor coronavirus risk as annual 10k approaches

The Hospice 10k is currently expected to go ahead as planned, but organisers have warned that they are preparing “proportionate and sensible measures”.

Castleford man's ingenious £3,000 toilet roll plan as Coronavirus panic buying leaves supermarket shelves emptyThe Pontefract 10k went ahead as planned last weekend, but many public events have been cancelled as companies aim to tackle the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

Helen Knowles, Director of Income Generation at Wakefield Hospice, said: “At present, plans for our forthcoming 10k on 29th March at Thornes Park continue as normal.

“It makes sense to plan ahead and introduce proportionate and sensible measures seeking to mitigate any impact both for the event and in case we have to reschedule.

“The health and safety of our competitors/runners and those staff and volunteers who support the event will always be our priority.

“In making any decisions we will always be guided by advice from Public Health England and the Government, and will act accordingly to their instructions should things change.

“Please be assured if anything changes we will be in touch via email, our website, social media, local newspapers and radio stations.”

More than 2,000 people take part in the Wakefield Hospice 10k each year.

At the time of writing, a total of 373 patients have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, with six confirmed deaths.

The government has repeated calls for the public to remain calm, and said there is no need to stock up on goods.

The official advice remains to focus on personal hygiene, washing your hands for 20 seconds at a time, and to self-isolate if returning from a high risk area, or if you present with the early symptoms of the virus: a dry cough, high temperature or shortness of breath.

For further advice on self-isolation, click here.