Brentwood Borough Council COVID-19 - Useful Information

Brentwood Borough Council sent this bulletin at 05-11-2020 04:10 PM GMT

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COVID-19

Important Information For You And Your Household

Thank you for subscribing to receive email updates from Brentwood Borough Council.

Below is some important information as well as links to get advice and support.

New Lockdown Restrictions

The new lockdown measures begin today (Thursday 5 November) and will be reviewed on 2 December.

Below is a reminder of the measures that have been put in place.

Work from home if your job allows it – this is crucial to reducing the spread of the coronavirus in our area.

You must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household – meaning the people you live with or support bubble.

You can exercise or visit outdoor public places with the people you live with, your support bubble or 1 person from another household (children under school age, as well as those dependent on round-the-clock care, who are with their parents will not count towards the limit on two people meeting outside). You cannot meet in a private garden.
Certain businesses and venues in the non-essential retail, leisure, entertainment and personal care industries will have to close
Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people
Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies will not be permitted to take place except in exceptional circumstances
Pubs, bars and restaurants must close, but can provide take-aways as per the rules detailed below:

Alcohol - A premises may sell alcohol at any time (that they are licensed to) but the sale must be pre-ordered and only made via a delivery, click and collect or a drive-thru facility. The purchaser must not enter the premises or vacate their vehicle.

Food or Drink (no alcohol) - Between the hours of 05:00 and 22:00 a premises may sell food or drink for take-away, and the purchaser can enter the premises to collect the food or drink.

After 22:00 till 05:00 the next morning, premises may sell food and drink, but the sale must be pre-ordered and only made via a delivery, click and collect or a drive-thru facility. The purchaser must not enter the premises or vacate their vehicle.

Further information is available on the government website.

Remembrance Sunday – November 8

Please be aware that changes have been made to Remembrance Sunday for 2020:

The annual Brentwood Remembrance parade will not take place in its normal format and there will be no public service at the War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday. 

There will be a private service at St Thomas’ Church which will be broadcast live for residents to take part virtually. This will be followed by a private wreath laying ceremony within the church grounds.

The Royal British Legion will conduct their usual service on Wednesday 11 November 2020 (Armistice Day) with residents asked not to attend, but to watch through the streamed video that St Thomas’s Church will provide.

St Thomas' Church Facebook

St Thomas' Church website

Grassroots Football

The Essex FA have confirmed that grassroots football will be suspended from Thursday 5 November 2020 to Wednesday 2 December 2020 in line with the Government announcement of a national lockdown, therefore the use of Council football pitches has been suspended during this same period.

Further details are available on the Essex FA website.

Hartswood Golf Course

Due to the new lockdown restrictions the golf course has closed until further notice.

The discount offer for service men and women has been postponed and will take place once the course can re-open.

Recycling Receptacle Orders

From today, 5 November, in line with the new national restrictions, all Reception services at the Town Hall are suspended. This includes the collection of recycling receptacles, which will not be possible until the Lockdown has lifted.

We will be in touch once collections are able to resume.

Essex Recycling Centres

All Essex recycling centres will remain open as per current operating times.

Libraries

Essex Libraries will be closed to the public in terms of book borrowing. However, some sites will continue to offer public computer use by appointment only. Where possible, the Home Library Service will continue. A new click and collect service will be put in place and more details will be shared shortly. The e-library service is still fully accessible. The mobile library service will be temporarily suspended.

Essex Registration Service and Blue Badge Assessments that take place from libraries will continue to operate.

Parks and Country Parks

Parks and Essex Country Parks will remain open, including car parks, children’s play equipment and toilets. Some cafés will also continue to offer a takeaway service in line with government guidance. All visitors are required to follow government guidelines.

Brentwood High Street Public Toilets

The public toilets in Brentwood High Street are to remain open.

FREE Starter Garden Kits Available For Vulnerable Residents This Autumn

To support the health and wellbeing of local residents, Brentwood Borough Council is working in partnership with Abberton Rural Training to support a new community project that encourages people to grow their own food at home this Autumn. Along with the Brentwood Health and Wellbeing Board, the Council has allocated 100 free planting starter kits to vulnerable residents, containing everything needed to start growing small food items at home.

Across the County, the project has so far received a great deal of support from businesses and volunteer groups who have donated time, material and space to operate distribution points and deliver packs to vulnerable residents’ home addresses.

Although everyone is welcome to join in, the Grow Your Own project particularly aims to support people who may be vulnerable due to underlying health conditions or certain circumstances which may lead to isolation or an inability to participate in healthy and rewarding activity. This project will help many families and vulnerable individuals to ‘grow their own’ and learn new skills through access to free training. So far, over 60 kits have been donated.

You don’t have to have a free pack to join in. There is a great website full of filmed tutorials, a YouTube channel which shows residents how to grow things for free, and each area has its own Facebook Group so residents right across Essex can get involved with their community online.  The Brentwood group on Facebook can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2502274483395838

A big thank you must go to Perrywoods Garden Centre, Ongar Garden Centre, Hamblion Transport, Lighthouse Furniture Project and Brentwood Mutual Aid, all of whom have committed materials or time to the project.

Those looking to apply for a free starter kit will need to meet a certain number of criteria and can apply online using the application form. For enquiries, please call Wendy Bixby on 07876440406

Getting Tested For COVID-19   

Information on who can get tested and where to get tested for COVID-19 is available at Essex County Council - Getting tested for COVID-19 

Advice and information available on our website

You can find advice, local information and changes to Council services on our website.

Brentwood Open

Take a look at this Facebook page for a guide on which businesses are open in the local community.

Do You Need Support?

We have produced a Community Support handbook full of helpful advice and support.

Organisations or groups who need advice or support can email the Council's Community Services Team at communitysupport@brentwood.gov.uk.

If you find yourself having to stay at home and need help with picking up shopping, a friendly phone call, posting mail or urgent supplies please contact a Community Help Hub in your area/village and they can help.

Further support can be found from the following groups:

Brentwood COVID-19 Mutual Aid - contact 01277 424953 or email admin@brentwood-mutual-aid.org or visit the Facebook page.

Brentwood Residents' Action Group (BRAG) - contact 07553 788009 or 07961 972917.

Are you concerned about someone's safety?

If you are concerned that a child or young person is being harmed, neglected or at risk of this you should contact Essex Social Care on 0345 603 7627.

Out of hours (5.30pm - 9am) Monday - Thursday, 4.30pm Friday - 9am Monday, and Bank Holidays 0345 606 1212 or 0300 1230 770.

Email: emergencydutyteam.outofhours@essex.gov.uk

If you have concerns that a vulnerable adult may be being harmed, neglected or at risk of abuse you should contact Essex Social Care Direct on 0345 603 7630 (Out of hours 0345 606 1212).

If there is an immediate risk of harm to anyone then contact the Police on 999.