ONE of the faces behind England’s national lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic could be seen recently in West Somerset.

Professor Sir Chris Whitty paid the area a visit at the invitation of Somerset County Council public health director Trudi Grant (pictured together, above).

Sir Chris, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, wanted to see for himself some of the issues experienced in coastal rural communities.

He chatted with people in Minehead and Porlock, and later also visited Cannington.

The council provided Sir Chris with a case study on West Somerset to be included in his annual report as CMO, which focuses on the health and wellbeing of coastal communities. Prof Grant said: “Prof Whitty was incredibly impressed with the way organisations and the community work together and some of the innovative ways of working that have been developed to overcome the issues we face.

“He was highly complimentary of the Somerset public health team, how we had managed the local pandemic, but also the detailed understanding we have of the needs of the local area and the reach and influence we have in Somerset.

“It was a huge honour to meet the CMO. He has provided amazing leadership throughout the pandemic.”