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This bulletin is designed to keep you up-to-date with how Havering Council and our borough is responding to COVID-19
There are early signs that the rate of increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19 being reported is slowing.
If we continue to demonstrate the same level of self-discipline that we have shown over the last fortnight then we may reach the peak of the epidemic in a week or two. That will be great news, but we will still be a long way away from being able to return to normality.
Any sudden relaxation of social distancing will result in a second wave of infections as the great majority of us have not had COVID-19 and therefore lack immunity. So I can only encourage residents to prepare for the long haul.
Like many millions of people across the country I will join the Clap For Our Carers campaign at 8pm on Thursday night.
In addition to NHS workers, I will be cheering for the hundreds of people locally who care for our most vulnerable residents in care homes and in the community. They are an essential part of the local health and care system and are equally deserving of our thanks during this emergency.
Mark Ansell
Director of Public Health, Havering Council
For all the latest information see our website or follow us via our facebook and twitter channels if you can.
You can find details of any confirmed changes to Council services, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the service disruption pages on our website.
We will also deliver a printed information booklet called "Good to know" to all homes in the borough from this Friday (10 April) to ensure everyone is kept informed of changes to Council services and who to contact for help, if required.
However, in the meantime, if you know of a neighbour or relative who doesn't have access to any of our digital communications, please share any relevant information from this email newsletter with them by making a phone call.
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 Havering Council is running a free-to-call helpline for residents with urgent needs because of coronavirus. If you are experiencing a crisis such as no prospect of obtaining food or medicine, call us.
The helpline - 0800 368 5201 - is for emergencies only and will be answered by staff redeployed from other Council services. You can call between 8.30am and 6pm on weekdays and 11am and 4pm at the weekend.
You can also email: covid19support@havering.gov.uk.
Residents with less urgent needs, or requiring advice on other Havering Council services, should go to our website for a range of contact options.
Havering Council has plans in place to keep vital frontline services running.
Other services will be subject to change.
Cemeteries
In accordance with new government regulations, the grounds at South Essex Crematorium and the borough’s cemeteries at Hornchurch, Rainham, Romford and Upminster are closed to the public.
Registrars
Please email registration@havering.gov.uk or call 01708 433481 if you have an urgent registration query.
Please email ceremonies@havering.gov.uk or call 01708 433155 if you have an urgent booking query.
Death registration
The way we register deaths has changed. Find out more.
Birth registration
Birth registration appointments are cancelled until 14 April 2020. This may be extended if Government advice changes.
Notice of marriage
We have cancelled all notice of marriage appointments until 14 April 2020. You can reschedule or cancel with a full refund.
Weddings and ceremonies
Any weddings and ceremonies up to 31 May 2020 are cancelled. You can reschedule from October onwards or you can have a full refund. There is no update yet for weddings after 31 May 2020.
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 Havering Council has introduced measures to help and support the borough’s businesses and self-employed people to plan and respond to COVID-19.
This webpage: https://www.havering.gov.uk/COVID19Business has lots of information and useful links.
For any enquiries regarding Business Rates and Hardship Grants (i.e. Small Business Grant and Retail, Leisure & Hospitality Grants) please email:
business.rates@onesource.co.uk
Havering Council has also launched a new dedicated helpline and webpage to support local businesses through the COVID-19 crisis.
This helpline, 0345 017 0743, is available Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm. If this line is busy you can also email: businessdevelopment@havering.gov.uk
If you wish to report a business that you believe is not complying with COVID-19 restrictions, or you have any queries regarding the legislation, then please do not call the hotline number but instead send an email to:
trading.standards@havering.gov.uk.
Havering Council has readied several apartments for Havering NHS nurses and other health professionals who have to stay away from home during the COVID-19 crisis.
Five flats have initially been made available at one of the Council’s sheltered accommodation schemes in Romford, which had been partially emptied to make way for redevelopment.
More flats are expected to be made available in the coming weeks.
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Havering Volunteer Centre is co-ordinating the work of our volunteers and requests for support in the borough, working tirelessly to match volunteers with suitable roles to help the most vulnerable residents in our community.
Havering Council is supporting these efforts with a £500,000 financial package to help adult social care providers, personal assistants and voluntary sector care providers to ‘keep caring’ as they provide a front line response to coronavirus.
If you need to speak to someone please call 01708 922214.
If you have new toiletries, books, quiz books or magazines to support our loneliest vulnerable residents then the Centre would love to receive them.
You can donate these, following safety guidelines around social distancing, at the Havering Volunteer Centre, Community Reach House, 32-34 The High Street, Romford RM1 1HR.
Please call 01708 922214 before you go to the office, so they can advise you when the best time would be to deliver.
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Local residents have been sending us their tips on how to beat boredom during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Stacey in Rise Park emailed living@havering.gov.uk to say:
To beat the Covid blues, my daughter Grace, age 14, has been experimenting with her baking skills. Here are the stained glass cookies that she made.
Gerry emailed us to suggest logging on to a website like duolingo.com to start learning a new language or brush up on school French, that in his case was more than 40 years ago.
"Best of all", he says, "it's a free download and is for me good fun and easily helps me pass an hour or two each day."
How are you beating the coronavirus blues? Let us, and Havering, know.
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 With children and parents spending so much time indoors, we’ve been looking around for ideas to help families keep themselves busy.
We can’t capture everything, so we’ve handpicked some ideas that we think will help you keep entertained and educated during these unusual times.
Join Poppy, our Arts and Crafts tutor, this Sunday, 12 April, and she will (virtually) show you how to make bird decorations and a flower collage for Easter.
There are other activities that you can join in with online taking place on each day of the four day Easter weekend.
 Gates to cemeteries in Havering were closed last night with access only for funerals.
Our Bereavement Services team, pictured in happier times earlier this year, will be putting notes on the cemetery gates (next to the formal ones) to say that the team will continue to take care of the grounds and the resting places for loved ones.
They understand, perhaps more than many of us, how many local residents may be feeling during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
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