Your questions answered
Parish and town councils and community groups are being asked to support huge numbers of vulnerable residents, are there supplies of PPE for community volunteers?
The council’s public health team has issued new internal guidance on the use of PPE which follows the Government guidance released last week:
When should PPE be worn?
Employees should wear PPE in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic where there is the risk of exposure to someone with symptoms of COVID-19, and the likelihood of transmission because of the care or procedures they are having to carry out.
PPE is not required when risk is managed through social distancing (e.g. maintaining a distance of 2 metres) or by excluding possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19 from the setting (e.g. in schools). This includes most community and care settings where infection prevention and control good practice should apply, including cleaning of surfaces and rigorous handwashing.
PPE is required when it is necessary to provide care within 2 metres in a setting or within a household where someone is a possible or confirmed case of COVID-19 or when someone is shielding due to their own extreme vulnerability.
For community settings, including the voluntary sector, who may be involved in providing support for people who are shielding because they are extremely vulnerable (e.g. shopping or dropping off medication), following the principles of social distancing and guidance on effective handwashing is sufficient.
Local guidance for volunteers can be found here
The government has also issued advice on how to help others safely here
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