Coronavirus: Chesterfield MP to close office

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins has revealed his office will close ‘until further notice’ due to the coronavirus.
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Mr Perkins said that although he and his staff are currently well he wanted to ‘limit our potential’ for spreading the virus.

“Every person that comes in is a potential carrier and as soon as the first visitor passes it on, my staff and I can infect everyone else who comes in,” the Labour MP said.

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“From now, until further notice, my constituency office will not be open to unarranged callers. We will attempt to do all casework by telephone, email and FaceTime.

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins is to close his office due to the coronavirus.Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins is to close his office due to the coronavirus.
Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins is to close his office due to the coronavirus.

“I will also continue to do my weekly surgery, but this will also be via telephone or FaceTime. My office remains open to phone calls and emails.”

He added: “The government’s strategy is that we should take all possible steps to avoid passing on the virus, whilst continuing ‘business as normal’ where possible to protect the country from the most savage economic impact of a total lockdown.

Coronavirus.Coronavirus.
Coronavirus.

“Allowing businesses to continue trading whilst offices like mine do what we can to reduce contact seems to me to fit in with this advice, and I know also fits in with what many other MPs are doing.

“Many of the constituents that we help are elderly, vulnerable or in poor health and so the potential for spreading the Coronavirus is too significant a risk for us to take.”

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Mr Perkins and his team support constituents with a wide range of issues, such as housing, NHS matters, benefit problems, pensions, and many more; as well as providing responses to various political and policy matters.

Contact Toby’s office by email at [email protected] or by calling 01246 386286.