Travel over Christmas
There is more advice and guidance on any travel arrangements over the Christmas period on the government website. The advice generally is to stay local.
Latest local coronavirus situation
The latest situation from Cumbria County Council is:
The new, highly infectious, variant of the COVID-19 virus is in Cumbria and could be behind recent sharp increases in new cases in some parts of the county, according to Cumbria’s Director of Public Health Colin Cox who is stressing the need for people to continue to make every effort to reduce infection spreading.
As of 20 December the infection rate for Cumbria as a whole had risen to 164 per 100,000 people. Across the county’s six districts rates range from 40 per 100,000 in Copeland to 345 per 100,000 in Eden. The Eden infection rate is the now the highest seen in Cumbria to date.
The new variant has been positively identified in a small number of cases in the county and while the extent to which it is responsible for the rapid rise in Eden is not yet certain, the pattern of infection and unusually rapid spread is highly suggestive.
At the moment scientists believe the new variant of the virus is more infectious and does spread faster, but as yet there is no evidence it is more dangerous to health.
Mr Cox said:
“It’s pretty clear that while it is the South East of England that is having the worst of it right now, this new variant is already present in most parts of the country.
“Only a small number of cases have been positively identified in Cumbria, but what is happening in Eden, which throughout the pandemic has had low levels of infection and now has the highest we’ve seen, points to something different going on. In particular, the way we have seen some outbreaks develop in recent days has been very different to what we’ve seen before.
“There’s no evidence that it’s more dangerous, but it does infect many more people and that’s a real worry, both for individuals and for our hospitals which are already dealing with high numbers of covid patients.
“The best way of keeping this in check hasn’t changed: wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces, give people space and avoid crowds – especially over Christmas. If we don’t act there is a significant risk of a large third wave in January bringing further lockdowns and putting health services under a huge amount of pressure”.
Help and assistance information
If you or someone you know needs help and advice over the Christmas and New Year period, there is more detail on who to contact on the Cumbria County Council website. This includes advice and contact details for food banks and other food support groups, as well as the details of organisations that offer financial assistance.
If you need any of our services in an emergency, such as for homeless assistance, call 0303 123 1702. If there is a risk to life call 999.
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Vaccine update
Our local NHS colleagues continue to roll out the vaccine in Allerdale, with Cockermouth's Castlegate and Derwent Surgery providing it to some of their patients this week.
When it is the right time, people will receive an invitation to come forward to get their vaccination. For most people this will be a letter, either from their GP or the national NHS .
The letter will include all the information you need to book appointments, including your NHS number.
Please do not contact the NHS to get an appointment until you get this letter.
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Don't forget to pick up your routine prescriptions ahead of Christmas & the festive season where you can. To view the north Cumbria pharmacy opening times for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Holiday Monday (28) & New Years Day visit their website.
Wet-led pubs Christmas Support payments
Wet-led pubs in Allerdale (those who make less than 50% of their income from food) can now apply for the £1000 Christmas Support Payment. Find out more on the criteria and how to apply on our website.
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