THE head of a group aimed at increasing physical activity in Oxfordshire has said 'we must all play our part' in combating coronavirus as cases continue to rise.

Active Oxfordshire Chief Executive Paul Brivio, in an update to supporters today, wrote: “We certainly live, work and play in challenging times.

"It is clear we must all play our part in combating coronavirus and supporting our wonderful NHS colleagues in their fight for lives."

He added: “We would urge all partners, sporting bodies, coaches and players to follow best practice advice on the Public Health England website at all times over the coming weeks.

"I would hope that we will continue to work together in the common goal of fighting inactivity which itself is a major cause of premature death.”

Mr Brivio went on to highlight the need to continue the work of fighting health inequalities.

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He explained: "We also know that inequalities and physical inactivity go hand in hand. We know that nearly half of our children and young people do not do enough exercise or physical activity to meet Chief Medical Officer guidelines.

"So, we need to do something different together. We need to follow the medical advice of experts who are telling us that even in a great County like Oxfordshire, one in five of adults are inactive."

Active Oxfordshire will be launching a new initiative called 'Fighting Inactivity… Changing Lives' next month.