Latest Community Connectors newsletter

 

Symptom-free testing     Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms. If you leave the house for work or essential activities, it is important to book regular symptom-free Covid tests. These tests will help to find people who don’t currently have symptoms and who may be unknowingly spreading the virus in the community. You can book an appointment for the following locations: Bat and Ball Centre, Cramptons Road, Sevenoaks TN14 5DN Swanley Youth Club, St Mary's Road BR8 7BU     Job opportunities at asymptomatic testing sites   Kent County Council is recruiting for a number of roles, including Site Operatives and Testing Operatives at sites across Kent. These are paid positions and you’ll be employed as an agency worker earning £10 per hour plus annual leave. You will need to be comfortable to be on your feet all day, have great customer service skills and good IT literacy too. For further details regarding these opportunities, please email AST@connect2kent.co.uk     Tackling COVID misinformation    Sadly there is a great deal of false information about COVID, much of it online. Some of the information falsely states that COVID-19 really isn’t a problem and videos have emerged showing quiet hospitals with empty corridors. In truth, the NHS has never been under such pressure. Every 30 seconds someone is admitted to hospital with COVID-19. There are now more than 35,000 people in hospital with the virus and a least a quarter of those receiving the most critical care are under 55. It’s really easy to share false information online and we’re all being asked to carefully consider what we share with others. The Government’s SHAREChecklist website provides guidance and advice on how to spot fake news so we don't contribute to the problem. Visit the SHAREChecklist website for details.     Free Coronavirus resources     Public Health England (PHE) continues to produce excellent marketing materials to encourage people to follow the latest COVID-19 guidance. The resources are constantly being updated and refreshed and we’d encourage you to share them with your contacts to help get the message out there. View the latest PHE marketing materials.     Government clamps down on indoor gatherings   The Government is taking a tougher line for those who break the lockdown rules with the introduction of new fines for partygoers. From this week, anyone attending an indoor gathering will receive a new £800 fine, which will double for each repeat offence up to a maximum £6,400. View the announcement in full.     Coronavirus vaccine scam warnings     We’re all being asked to remain vigilant as criminals begin to take advantage of the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to commit fraud. Throughout January, Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, has received dozens of fraud reports in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine. To find out more, and how to protect yourself, visit the Action Fraud website.     Latest local COVID-19 data   The latest data we have from the Government and Public Health England is dated 21 January. The data shows that the growth rate is slowing down in all districts in Kent.   The case rate in the Sevenoaks District to 21 January 2021 was 352.8 per 100,000, down from 440.6. This is slightly above the England rate of 402.3, which is also down from 504.5 per 100,000. There were 670 active cases in the District at 21 January, down significantly from 824 active cases in the district the previous week, and almost half the number from a fortnight ago. View the latest national COVID-19 data.     What do you think of this newsletter?   Drop us a line at communications@sevenoaks.gov.uk

Please feel free to share this newsletter with your friends, family, work colleagues and contacts.