A city's coronavirus story: How Milton Keynes is coping with the crisis

This brings the city's death toll to three.

The patients were both in their 90s and had underlying health conditions.

It is understood both were admitted with Covid-19 symptoms and were put into isolation immediately by hospital staff.

The two patients had no connection with each other and neither were they related to the first victim at the hospital, an 83-year-old gentleman who died on March 5.

Elsewhere in Milton Keynes the streets are eerily quiet as people followed government social distancing advice and avoid crowded places, pubs and restaurants - leaving many businesses gravely concerned about how they will survive this knock-on effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

MK Gallery closed on Monday, swiftly followed by the Cineworld and Odeon cinemas and MK Theatre on Tuesday. Even MK Council has cancelled meetings.

Schools are struggling with staff absences and some have been forced to send some year groups home to study.

On Tuesday morning Milton Keynes hospital announced it would be restricting visiting hours, cancelling routine surgeries and stopping many outpatient appointments in a bid to "reduce footfall" and protect patients and staff from coronavirus.

Just one visitor per patient is now allowed, and visiting can only take place between the hours of 4pm and 7pm for all adult inpatient wards. Children under 16 years of age should not attend the hospital to visit.

Routine planned surgery is being postponed and patients who have appointments for such surgery will be contacted by the hospital and their appointments rescheduled.

The intention is to maximise the number of hospital beds available for patients needing emergency care, say hospital bosses.

Urgent operations and operations that form part of cancer treatment will continue to go ahead and patients should attend as planned.

Non-urgent appointments will also be postponed. For outpatients, the hospital is running " virtual clinics" where it can, performing consultations using Skype and telephone appointments.

"This is in order that we can accommodate the appointments of as many patients as possible without the need for them to come into the hospital. If this affects your appointment, the hospital will contact you," said a spokesman.

Some outpatient appointments and diagnostic appointments (scans, x-rays, endoscopies etc) will need people to continue to attend the hospital.

"If you have not heard from the hospital with a change to your appointment, please attend as planned," said the spokesman,.

Chief Executive of Milton Keynes University Hospital, Professor Joe Harrison, said: “We know that some of these measures – including restricting visiting numbers and times – will be difficult for patients and families, but we believe it’s the right thing to do to help protect everyone in our hospital and in our wider community."

The community obviously agreed and people imposed their own restrictions to keep safe. By Tuesday morning, following the Prime Minister's sobering speech the previous evening, the only crowds to be seen in MK were in supermarkets - where panic buyers swept the shelves clean of toilet rolls, non-perishable food and anti-bacterial products.

Asda and Tesco, struggling with staff shortages due to self-isolation, announced their 24-hour superstores in MK would close overnight, giving staff a chance to restock.

Twelve of the major supermarkets have issued a joint statement to customers outlining how they are "working to feed the nation" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tesco, Sainsbury's, Co-op, Lidl, Aldi, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado and Costcutter have urged shoppers not to panic buy.

Their statement says: We want you to know that we are doing"everything we can so that you and your families have the food and essentials you need.

"We understand your concerns but buying more than is needed can sometimes mean that others will be left without. There is enough for everyone if we all work together.

"Together we can make sure we are looking out for family, friends and neighbours. Together we will care for those around us who are elderly, vulnerable or choosing to remain at home."

The statement adds: "We are doing all we can to rise to this challenge. Serving you and keeping you and everyone who works with us safe will always be our priority."

"Those of us with online delivery and click-and-collect services are running them at full capacity to help you get the products you need when you need them.

"We thank all our colleagues in stores and supply chains who are working day and night to keep the nation fed. But we need your help too."

Help was a key word in MK as caring members of the community started realising the effect that the pandemic could have on elderly, ill or isolated residents.

Towns and estates put out messages on social media, urging people who needed help with shopping and other necessities to get in touch.

In the west of MK, one such neighbourhood scheme grew and grew until it became a citywide project.

Residents Lucy Fox and Mike Cashman set up their own community support group and within days had hundreds of volunteers from estates and towns all over MK.

The scheme involves 'street champions', area coordinators and hundreds of volunteers to run errands for those in need throughout most of MK.

Huge batches of 'help needed' leaflets have been printed and they will be distributed for people to display in their window to alert the volunteers.

"I envisage that people will do a leaflet drop to every household in their estate so either the household can display the leaflet in their window when help is needed, or can call a phone number and it will be a coordinated person coming to help," said Lucy.

The caller will then be matched with a helper, again a volunteer from the town or estate. To avoid cross contamination, they will, where possible, remain as helper for the same 'client' for the duration of the isolation.

The project is totally voluntary and non profit-making and payment and purchases will be left on people's doorsteps or in an agreed safe place.

Lucy said: "There are so many people in Milton Keynes, particularly elderly people, who will be really stuck if they cannot get out to do shopping or get things they need," she said. "My intention is that when the UK goes into restricted access or full lockdown there isn’t anyone left struggling with the ‘dare I go shopping’ versus ‘I’m to at risk to go out' dilemma in MK."

Details are on Facebook under Milton Keynes Coronavirus Community Support.

Meanwhile, elderly people living in care homes have become one of the city's biggest risk groups. Already several care homes are restricting or banning visits in a bid to avoid infection.

One 130-bed home, the Willows in Great Linford, is in total lockdown after an elderly patient is suspected of having of Covid-19.

The home is working closely with Public Health England and has contacted all relatives of residents asking them not to visit until further notice.

"This is in order to give vulnerable people the best possible chance and to mitigate the risk to this client group," said a spokesman for Excelcare, which runs the home.

Other groups worrying about the effects of the pandemic include disabled people and those on low-income and now facing further cuts if they are unable to work.

But caring staff at the city Jobcentre have put out a message, via the Citizen, to all 13,500 people on benefits in MK, reassuring them they will not have to go without.

With the Jobcentre in virtual lockdown, a special 'trust and protect' system has been launched to ensure all new and existing claimants will be dealt with online or over the telephone.

Any new claimants for Universal Credit will be taken on trust and paid up to a month's money without being checked, while existing claimants will not have to sign on or go for face-to-face assessments.

Local DWP manager Emma Duthie said: "We understand people who are required to stay at home or are infected by

Coronavirus may need financial support, and quickly. We will be trusting people to tell us the truth. As long as they let us know they are isolated or infected, we will make sure they do not suffer financially.

"We are doing this to protect the wider community and out citizens... We do not want people coming here and spreading the risk of infection."

All claimants must inform the Jobcentre if they are self-isolating or infected.

From the civic offices, where desks are empty because so many staff are working from home, Milton Keynes Council has assured residents their officers are "planning for all eventualities" so the city is prepared.

Muriel Scott, Milton Keynes’ Director of Public Health said: “Locally we’re well prepared for cases of coronavirus. Health professionals in Milton Keynes are able to test rapidly and give expert care. All public service partners have put steps in place to keep essential services running and will take prompt action where needed to safeguard local people."

The council has written to private care providers and suppliers to make sure that they are also prepared in case “roughly a fifth of the workforce” are off sick if and when covid-19 infections reach a peak.

Businesses looking after some of the city’s most vulnerable people, including care homes, home care services, and supported living providers, have been written to, and offered advice and support

The council is taking a “control centre” approach to co-ordinate staff across the city

Council providers have been asked to buddy up to support each other, and council workers are being prepared to work to provide support to front line services.

The council has also sent guidance to schools and other settings and created letters they can use for a number of scenarios.

Finally, a much-needed spot of light relief this week came from eBay where, among the greedy sellers from MK flogging nine-roll packs of toilet rolls for a whopping £30 each, one city eBayer is auctioning off a single sheet of Cushelle loo paper.

So far there have been eight offers, and bidding has reached the princely sum of 65p.

The winning bidder must pay £2.90 for the sheet to be carefully dispatched by Royal Mail 2nd Class, states the seller.

He adds: "Please note that the proceeds of this sale will be donated to Age UK to help assist our elderly relatives and loved ones at this crazy time."