Coronavirus Advice

 

I am receiving many calls and emails about Coronavirus.

The best place for advice or to find answers to your questions is on the .gov website. Full details about the government’s response, recent announcements and what it means for you, as well as advice about what to do is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus. This page is updated regularly and includes advice for individuals and businesses  needing financial assistance.

To find out what support you can get, for example, if you’re out of work, need to get food, or want to take care of your mental health, please visit - www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support.

If you need any medical advice, please visit the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

For getting a Covid-19 test, please visit www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.

Staffordshire County Council has been organising mobile testing sites offering the rapid covid-19 test. These sites move about across the county and operate every day. These tests can be booked at https://staffordshire.zipporah.co.uk/TrackAndTrace/.  

To understand the coronavirus restrictions in the area, please visit www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions

To stay up to date with updates on the .gov website, please sign up here -  www.gov.uk/email-signup?topic=/coronavirus-taxon

For information about the vaccination programme visit - https://www.staffordsurroundsccg.nhs.uk/our-services2/vaccination-sites?fbclid=IwAR17J8PsysZwwKAkeoUXPIfMnuWSMo_XXNwGXK490RWBoELnvTyKUJ9PGqg

 

Current National Restrictions - January 2021

What you can and cannot do during the national lockdown

You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

You should follow this guidance immediately. This is the law.

Leaving home

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

  • shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
  • go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
  • exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
  • meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
  • seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
  • attend education or childcare - for those eligible

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local - unless it is necessary to go further, for example to go to work. Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work

 

Meeting others

You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).

You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

You cannot meet other people you do not live with, or have not formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household.

 

Education

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term.

Early years settings remain open.

Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses.

one of 66 local authorities to take part in the roll out of rapid testing for people without symptoms – with up to 10 per cent of the population eventually set to be tested every week.

 

 

 

 

Finally, there are three simple actions we must all do to keep on protecting each other

  • Wash hands - keep washing your hands regularly
  • Cover face - wear a face covering in enclosed spaces
  • Make space - stay at least 2 metres apart - or 1 metre with a face covering or other precautions