Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas said: "A letter from myself and the Chief Executive was sent to council staff this afternoon concerning the planning and preparation that the authority is undertaking in response to the escalation of Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).  

"Clearly the implications for the Council, our public service partners and the residents of the city are significant.  

"I want to send a message to residents that we have been working on plans which will focus on the delivery of essential services and the protection of the vulnerable and the elderly. And while most people who catch the virus will make a full recovery, we have to recognise and make plans for the likelihood that the council may have to deliver these important services with a vastly reduced workforce, over an extended period of time, due to the expected spread of coronavirus. 

"Normal boundaries that separate services may need to be broken down significantly as the coronavirus spreads. We will need to move resource where it is needed, when it is needed, and we will do our utmost to ensure that key services continue to function for residents as the situation develops. The Trade Unions understand the situation we are facing and are fully supportive of our plans. 

"We are about to enter a new normal, which will require us all to rethink the way we go about our daily lives and to reconsider our normal expectations. But I know, as Leader of the Council, that our staff will do their very best for the residents of our city and our residents will do their very best to ensure that Cardiff's reputation for warmth, friendliness and looking out for each other will come to the fore in the days ahead."