Please take extra care when making your essential journeys to help reduce the strain on the emergency services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. 

For those of you who must travel, please make sure that you drive at the appropriate speed, always wear a seat belt, never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs and never use a mobile phone behind a wheel.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) attacks the respiratory system, so if you smoke, you are not only putting yourself at greater risk, but those around you exposed to second hand smoke, including children. 

There has never been a more important time to stop smoking. Not only for your own health but to protect those around you. It will also help reduce pressure on the NHS. Why not #QuitForCovid today. Find out more on the Today Is The Day website.

Contact One Small Step or use the Smokefree app to access advice and support on how you can best stop smoking.

Cyber criminals are preying on the fears and uncertainty surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) by sending scam messages that attempt to trick people into clicking a link or opening attached documents.  This recent BBC news article provides some examples of the types of messages involved, which could target any of us. 

The National Cyber Security Centre has recently updated their guidance on dealing with phishing messages, including advice on spotting them, and actions to take if you’ve already clicked.  Any victim of fraud through an online scam can report it as a crime to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.

We've donated £100,000 to the Devon Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund after an emergency appeal was launched by the Devon Community Foundation.

They set up the fund to help local charities and community organisations that are supporting the most vulnerable people affected by the outbreak of coronavirus.

To donate to the fund, or to apply for funding, please visit the Devon Community Foundation website.

One of the four reasons you can leave your house during the lockdown is to provide care or to help a vulnerable person who needs to stay at home because of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Even when you are doing this, you need to do so safely. You should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are two metres (six feet) apart from anyone outside of your household.

The government has published guidance on how you can help and importantly, how to do it safely.

Some supermarkets have launched special e-cards for self-isolating customers who want to arrange payment for groceries delivered by volunteers, friends or family members. 

They offer a safe, secure and contact-free way to allow others to shop for them, without having to hand over cash or share bank card details.

They can be bought easily online and then emailed to whoever is doing the shopping, or printed out and left in a safe place for them to pick up. They can be topped up online, and people will also be able to check their balance and keep track of their spending.

Please visit your preferred retailer's website to find out more.

If you are a fleet operator or business owner with drivers working for your company, you may find a new toolkit from Driving for Better Business helpful. It’s been created with FleetCheck in response to the disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19).

There are a series of short videos to help business owners manage the new challenges facing companies and you can sign up for toolkit updates too.

The government understands that employers and businesses may have concerns about how they can remain open for business safely, and so play their part in preventing the spread of the virus.

They have published guidance to assist employers, businesses and their staff in staying open safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

We have posted answers to some frequently asked questions that we have received from parents and carers of disabled children. It's a worrying time for all parents, but there is a place on our webpages where we will continue to answer questions put to our Disabled Children's Service about support available to their families.

We've also made some changes to the way we administer our Direct Payments during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

We are still on track to being able to confirm primary school places to parents of children due to start in September 2020. Parents who applied online for primary school places will receive confirmation on the morning of Thursday 16 April by email. Read what happens on ‘offer day’.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, schools are currently only open for children of key workers and the most vulnerable pupils. The admissions team has therefore requested that you do not contact your allocated school at this time.

Please be assured the school will contact you directly to discuss the admission and transition arrangements. Schools will not be able to discuss admissions prior to them contacting you.

Bus companies have seen up to a 90 per cent reduction in passenger numbers, leading to a drastic reduction in services except for critical routes.  So, we have introduced 'Key Cars', to provide key workers with lifts to work for a subsidised flat fare.

Are you interested in finding out about your ancestors? Would you like to research your family tree?

You can now access Ancestry Library Edition at home using your Devon Libraries membership card, giving you access to historical records, photos and information about your family tree and distant descendants without having to step foot out of your front door.

Find out more, including how to access Ancestry Library Edition on the Libraries Unlimited website.

The government is making available additional funding to schools to cover costs related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

It covers the period up to the end of the 2019 to 2020 summer term. The government will publish further guidance in June, with more details of the claims process.