INVERCLYDE Council's leader says the area will need huge investment to recover from COVID-19.
Stephen McCabe says he'll be seeking urgent support from the Scottish Government.
On top of the high rate of coronavirus deaths, there is also the long-standing and deepening deprivation issue to tackle.
Councillor McCabe said: "As we move towards recovery from coronavirus there is a need to examine the support needed across our country as a whole, but more crucially the particular needs of regions and individual council areas.
"We cannot go back to business as usual."
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