A North East response group set up to react to the coronavirus outbreak will aim to make sure the region is not left behind when the 海角视频 economy begins to recover.
The region's economy has already been hugely impacted by the outbreak, with hundreds of jobs already lost in a range of sectors and most companies on effective shutdown.
A North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group has been launched to provide support for businesses hit by the coronavirus ourbreak, bringing together the North East LEP, the CBI, and the North of Tyne and North East Combined Authorities.
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The group will focus in the short term on keeping businesses afloat and maintaining jobs, and hopes that providing a co-ordinated response from the region will mean it is better placed to lobby the Government for support needed.
North East LEP chief executive Helen Golightly said the group's immediate challenge was to get as much support as possible to ensure companies remained in business and were able to keep people in jobs.
But she said the group would also try to ensure rapid measures could be put in place to boost the economy when the shutdown passes to avoid the North East avoiding its normal slow recovery.
She said: “If we look historically at how the North East has fared after a recession, we tend to come out of it slower than other areas.
“But we'll do our damnedest for that not to happen and do everything we can for the region.
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“We're dealing with the unknown but what we don't want here is a long-term strategic piece that will take a while to come into effect.
“We have to be ready to go so we want to have some practical actions that will put some energy back into the economy as quickly as possible.”
The response group has set up a webpage offering support to businesses, which is available at .
CBI regional director Sarah Glendinning is representing a range of business organisations on the response group.
She said: “The public health response is paramount but this is about looking to minimise the adverse impact on the region's economy so that we can come out of this in as strong a position as we can.
“Everything is moving at such pace so the group is coming together to coordinate the region's response and look at how we can share information with businesses so they can make the best decisions possible.”