Community Connectors newsletter

 

Community Connectors 23 December 2020 View this email in your browser

Tightest restrictions for Sevenoaks District      It wasn’t the news any of us wanted to hear just days before Christmas. But with rising cases of COVID-19 across Kent and much of the south-east of England (largely attributed to a more contagious strain of the virus), the Government put Sevenoaks District in Tier 4 from 20 December. Under the new rules, we cannot leave or be outside of the place we live unless we have a reasonable excuse. We cannot meet others indoors, including over the Christmas and New Year period, unless they live with us, or they are part of our support bubble. Outdoors, we can only meet one person from another household. These rules will not be relaxed for Christmas. We can no longer form a Christmas bubble. Non-essential retailers must also close. We offering financial support to affected businesses. View the Tier 4 restrictions in full and download poster and social media graphics to share with your contacts.     Tier 4 and Council services   During Tier 4 restrictions, our services will continue as normal, including waste and recycling and garden waste collections. However, following Government advice, we have closed our reception to the public. You can still access our services by phone, post or online and arrange an appointment if there is a need to speak with one of our colleagues. Call us on 01732 227000 or visit www.sevenoaks.gov.uk     Accessing your GP during the pandemic     With more pressure on our health service than ever, the NHS is running a campaign to promote the many ways the public can safely access their GP. In light of Coronavirus, GP practices have had to adapt and change the way they deliver services and it is important that the public understand these changes and are confident in reaching out to their GP practices for help. In short, the public are being asked to: Contact their GP practice online, by an app or by phone to be assessed before turning up Follow the Government safety advice if they visit their local practice for an appointment Not to visit their GP if they have symptoms of Coronavirus or are self-isolating. They should instead contact their GP practice for advice. You can download the publicity materials from the PHE website to share with your contacts.     Help is a click or a phone call away     The ‘Care for our Community – Sevenoaks District’ voluntary scheme is available if you or someone you know need help during the current restrictions. Around 1,500 volunteers have signed up to the scheme helping those in need by collecting their shopping and prescriptions, having a friendly chat and more. Help may also be available for those who are struggling financially to buy food. Sign up at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/requesthelp or by calling us on 01732 227000.     Happy Christmas! See you next year!   This is our last issue of Community Connectors for 2020. We want to say a big thank you from everyone at the Council for sharing the newsletter with your contacts, helping to keep us all safe. You’ll hear from us again in January for what, hopefully, will be the start of a better year! But until then, have a safe and merry Christmas and a happy New Year.     Latest local COVID-19 data   The latest data from Public Health England is accurate up to 17 December. It tells us that positive cases have increased across all Kent districts in the past week.   In Sevenoaks District, the seven day count of positive cases was 559, up from the previous week’s count of 289 and at a rate of 462.9 per 100,000, up from last week’s rate of 239.3. The average rate for England is 299.2 cases per 100,000 population.   There are currently 694 active cases across our District, up significantly from 358 last week. The Health Protection Board tells us that most of the active cases in the Sevenoaks District are associated with clusters in residential dwellings and care settings.  View the latest national COVID-19 data.     Boloh - The Black and Asian Family Covid-19 helpline   Barnardo’s has launched a new support service to support Black, Asian and minority ethnic children, young people and their families impacted by Covid-19. The new service is a free telephone helpline and web chat facility for children, young people and families from these communities who are suffering the long-lasting and wide-ranging impact of Covid-19. Barnardo’s advisors will aim to provide on-going support on a complex range of issues including mental health, bereavement, family break-down, neglect, back to school, parenting advice, counselling, family stress, discrimination, barriers to services and more. Call Barnardos on 0800 1512605 or chat online at https://helpline.barnardos.org.uk     What do you think of this newsletter?   Drop us a line at communications@sevenoaks.gov.uk

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