ALLERDALE Council is backing the national message for tourists to stay at home.

The executive member for tourism has echoed the sentiments of Cumbria Police and Cumbria Tourism regarding visitors.

Councillor John Cook, executive member with responsibility for tourism, said: "Allerdale is a fantastic place to visit and tourism obviously plays a large role in our economy.

"However, we are joining Cumbria Police and Cumbria Tourism in asking people to follow the government's advice not to make any non-essential journeys and come and visit the area.

"We will do whatever we can to help and support those tourism businesses affected by these events. But at the moment, we must all be responsible and follow the government guidance on social distancing and staying at home so that we protect each other from infection, especially the most vulnerable.

"By doing this we will also protect and support the local NHS services, so that they can do their job helping those who are sick."

In line with the latest government advice surrounding coronavirus, cafes, restaurants, gyms and many accommodation providers and attractions in Allerdale have announced that they have closed for the foreseeable future.

An Allerdale spokesman said: "The Government has been very clear on social distancing and the need not to undertake unnecessary travel.

"It is imperative that residents and visitors carefully consider their own social responsibilities aligned with the current advice.

"Allerdale remains a fantastic visitor destination and we look forward to welcoming visitors in the future when the advice from Government changes.

"In the meantime, we encourage you to ‘virtually’ experience some of the great attractions and locations in Allerdale by viewing our 360 degree videos that can be found at https://visitallerdale.co.uk/virtual-reality-experiences/."

The council announced yesterday that it was suspending its street markets for two months in line with official advice and guidance. The markets operate in Keswick, Wigton, Workington and seasonally in Silloth.

Council deputy leader Councillor Mike Johnson said: “Markets are a much loved and vibrant feature of our towns. I really appreciate the efforts market traders put into offering a wide range of goods with excellent, personal service. However, we must do the right thing and follow the government’s guidance on social distancing and staying at home, hence the suspension of the markets.”

The council has signposted the range of government support for businesses on its website https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/ and is encouraging market traders to check their eligibility for the business support measures.