Community Connectors newsletter from Sevenoaks District Council

Community Connectors 11 November 2020

Lockdown update   As we enter the second week of a four-week lockdown, the Government is continuing to ask us to stay at home and only leave for a limited set of reasons. View the guidance on the lockdown restrictions in full. Public Health England has produced new lockdown social media graphics, videos and posters that you can share with your contacts.       Diwali 2020   This year’s Hindu festival of Diwali takes place on Saturday 14 November. The NHS has produced a leaflet to help people celebrate the festival safely during Coronavirus. You can also download the Diwali social media graphics and posters from the PHE website.       Town Centre Ambassadors   In the coming weeks, we will be setting up a team of ‘Town Centre Ambassadors’ who will operate across the high streets of Sevenoaks, Swanley, Westerham and Edenbridge. The Ambassadors are supported by Government funding up to 31 March 2021. The Ambassadors will not have an enforcement role but will be there to offer support and advice to businesses and visitors to help them comply with the COVID-19 guidance and rules. We’re currently advertising for the roles, so if you or someone you know is interested, view the job opportunities and apply on online. The deadline for applications is 18 November with interviews taking place on Tuesday 24 November 2020.       COVID-19 vaccine news   This week, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer/BioNTech published the results of its latest COVID-19 vaccine trial, showing it to be more than 90% effective in preventing Coronavirus in participants. However, the Government has urged caution. It says while the potential vaccine is promising, further trials are required and if these are successful, it would be several months before the majority of the population could be vaccinated. Therefore, we should continue to follow the current COVID-19 guidance. Read the Government’s statement in full.     Get the app!   We’re all being urged to download the NHS COVID-19 app to help control the spread of Coronavirus and protect ourselves and our loved ones as case numbers continue to rise. The app forms a central part of the NHS Test and Trace service, identifying contacts of those who have tested positive for Coronavirus. Around 40% of British smartphone users now have the app, with more than 19m downloads since its release.       Latest local COVID-19 data   Up to 2 November, the count of positive cases was up across all Kent districts.   In Sevenoaks District, the seven day count of positive cases through laboratory testing was 127, up from 122 in the prior week, at a rate of 105.2 per 100,000 population, up from the previous rate of 101.0. The average rate for England is 236.3 cases per 100,000 population. Although these figures indicate a rise in the count, the rate of increase is generally slower than seen in previous weeks.   In total, the data tells us there are 162 active cases across our District, down from 175 from the last dataset, and that these relate predominantly to household clusters and cases in medical facilities and care settings.    The Health Protection Board states that the national lockdown should lead to a reduction in cases in two weeks’ time as long as people adhere to required measure to reduce transmission. View the latest national COVID-19 data.     Concerns about Coronavirus compliance?   As ever, if you have concerns about people or businesses not following the COVID rules, drop us a line and we’ll see if we or one of our partners can help. Call us on 01732 227000 or email information@sevenoaks.gov.uk.     What do you think of this newsletter?   Drop us a line at communications@sevenoaks.gov.uk

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