"Know Your Neighbours" in Seal: Community Connectors newsletter

Community Connectors 25 November 2020

COVID-19 Winter Plan

On Monday (23 November) the Government launched its new COVID-19 Winter Plan.
The plan’s objectives are to reduce infections, find better ways of managing the virus and enabling life to return closer to normal while minimising damage to the economy and society, jobs and livelihoods.
The Government has confirmed the national lockdown will end on 2 December, however, a tougher regional tiered approach will be introduced.
We can expect to find out which tier the Sevenoaks District will be allocated tomorrow (Thursday).
We will of course continue to support the Government by sharing its latest campaign materials and you can do the same by downloading their latest assets at [insert link when available]
View the summary of the COVID-19 Winter Plan.

More support for businesses impacted by lockdown

Businesses that had to close or experienced significant financial loss because of the second lockdown can now apply for financial support.
Businesses can apply for funding worth up to £3,000 if they had to close during the second national lockdown from 5 November 2020. Funding is also available to help those that remained open but have seen a significant reduction in income.
Visit www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/lockdownsupport to view the funding criteria and apply.

Making a Christmas bubble with family and friends

The Government announced yesterday (Tuesday 24 November) that between 23 and 27 December, residents can form an exclusive ‘Christmas bubble’ of no more than three households.
However, residents should continue to take steps to reduce the spread of the virus. This includes ensuring indoor spaces get as much fresh air as possible, washing hands regularly and for 20 seconds, and following rules on self-isolation for those who develop symptoms or test positive for Coronavirus.
Residents should also aim to reduce unnecessary contact with people they do not live with as much as possible in the two weeks before they form their Christmas bubble.
View the Christmas guidance in full.

High streets reopening strategy

We’re working with Sevenoaks, Edenbridge, Swanley and Westerham town councils to support our high street businesses as they prepare to reopen after lockdown.
Our plan includes series of initiatives, including a business recovery toolkit, sanitiser stations and free parking offers throughout December. In addition, there are also a new team of ‘Town Centre Ambassadors’ who will provide support and advice to businesses and visitors in town centres.
Hard copies of the ‘Business recovery toolkit’ will be delivered to businesses in the four towns from this Friday.
We’re also supporting the towns with a mainly digital marketing campaign to encourage the public to visit our high streets safely.
The four town councils will share the publicity materials and we’re encouraging businesses and residents to do the same.
Find out more about the campaign and download the assets.

FREE parking to support our town centres

We’ve agreed to free parking offers to support the District’s town centres when lockdown ends and in the run up to Christmas.
To encourage visitors to stay longer, shop safely and support our local businesses, the first hour of parking will be free in the majority of our short-stay car parks in Sevenoaks, Swanley and Westerham for a month after lockdown ends on 2 December. Bligh’s is not included in the offer.
Visitors will still need to display a parking ticket or register their stay with MiPermit.
We’re also making parking free in all our car parks and on street across the two weekends before Christmas - Saturday 12 and Sunday 13, and Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December.
Find out more about our December parking offers.

Latest local COVID-19 data

The latest data we have received from Public Health England is accurate up to 20 November. It tells us that the trend across most Kent districts was a downward one with rates decreasing.
In Sevenoaks District, the seven-day count of positive cases through laboratory testing was 191, down from the previous week’s count of 221, and at a rate of 158.2 per 100,000, down from last week’s rate of 183.0. The average rate for England is 214.7 cases per 100,000 population, down from 227.1 last week. This indicates that rates in the country are gradually decreasing.
In total, the data we are receiving tell us there are 302 active cases across our District, down from 319 last week. These relate predominantly to residential settings, school, care and workplace settings.

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.

Go social for the very latest news

We update our social media feeds on a daily basis with the very latest on COVID-19.
We would encourage you to follow our accounts on Facebook and Twitter and share any posts with your contacts that may be useful.
Our Facebook handle is Sevenoaks District Council Official and our Twitter handle is @sdc_newsdesk.
And, if there’s anything you think we should share with our followers, don’t forgot to include our social media handles in your posts!