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Friday 31 July 2020
As you may have seen from the Prime Minister’s announcement today, we are at a crucial moment in the struggle against coronavirus. Cases in some parts of England have increased to the point that stricter measures have had to be asked of residents over most of the North West.
At the moment things are at a fork in the road – we can continue to control COVID-19 if we all do our bit or cases could continue to rise if we don’t. At some point in the future there may be no alternative but to reapply tighter controls over more areas.
The same is true in Havering. Look at the blue line on the graph below: that’s us. That’s real people catching COVID-19. We’re a long way from the rates of new cases being reported in Leicester or Blackburn or Greater Manchester. But the number of new cases locally is increasing here too.
 We need to keep that blue line as low as possible, but in the last few weeks it’s started to creep upwards. The purple line is Rochdale, where restrictions have just been increased. We’re not there yet, but if that blue line continues to creep up, we will be.
Your action, for yourselves, your family, and those in your community, will keep that blue line low. Wear a mask in public, stick to social distancing guidelines, and be sensible and considerate in what you do and how you do it. Not doing so and then catching COVID-19 could be more dangerous than you think.
If you think you have symptoms, isolate immediately and get yourself tested – a mobile testing unit visits the Town Hall regularly and will be operating in Barking and Dagenham or Redbridge when it’s not in Havering.
If you test positive you now need to isolate for 10 days. Don’t delay – testing is the essential first step you need to take. And you must share information about the people you have been in close contact with, with NHS Test and Trace and they will let them know that they must isolate so as not to spread the infection further.
Playing your part will keep the borough out of lockdown – and protect vulnerable people from serious harm.
So please try and look after yourself, stay healthy and think about the consequences of not following the rules around staying safe.
Do your bit to protect yourself and everyone else, and we will get us out of this quicker than if we don't act now.
Mark Ansell,
Director of Public Health
The Government has announced today that further changes to lockdown restrictions are to be put on hold this weekend, as the number of coronavirus cases has risen across the country.
Changes include widening the number of places where masks will be mandatory, and pausing reopenings of a number of businesses.
Casinos, bowling alleys and ice skating rinks were set to reopen, but must now remain shut for at least two more weeks. Indoor performances will also not resume, and pilots of larger gatherings in sports venues and conference centres will not take place.
Wedding receptions of up to 30 people were going to be allowed, but now cannot take place.
Masks or face coverings are now compulsory in most indoor settings where people are likely to come into contact with people outside of their household, including museums and places of worship. Face coverings will also be enforceable in law from Saturday 8 August.
Read the Prime Minister's speech, and follow the latest guidance as these changes develop, via the link below.
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A mobile testing unit for COVID-19 will be at Havering Town Hall again over the next few weeks.
Before you attend the site in Romford, you will need to make an appointment.
The testing at the Town Hall rear car park is between 10.30am and 3.30pm, on the following days:
- Monday 3 August
- Thursday 6 August
- Sunday 9 August
- Wednesday 12 August
- Saturday 15 August
Vehicles and pedestrians should enter via Park End Road, Romford RM1 4AU, where a one-way drive and walk through system will be in place. Please do not try to enter from Main Road.
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A team of five Metropolitan Police officers funded by the Council to tackle anti-social behaviour have seized over £1M of stolen vehicles and arrested over 100 people during their first six months.
Named the Havering Joint Task Force, the team are intelligence-led and tasked to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots.
Since its formation, the Task Force has arrested 104 suspects, with 41 arrests being for residential burglaries and 11 being for possession of offensive weapons.
During that same time, 45 stolen vehicles across Havering have been recovered by the team, and intelligence has been gathered to help identify offenders for arrest and conviction.
Havering Joint Task Force has also been instrumental in planning and executing Operation Gambler – a cross-border initiative with Metropolitan Police and Essex Police, targeting high harm offenders such as gang members, robbers, burglars and drug dealers. 269 individuals have been arrested as the result of proactive, intelligence-led policing.
Learn more about the Havering Joint Task Force on this video, and read the news story below.
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From Monday 3 August, parking charges will be back in all Council car parks and on-street parking.
Also from Monday, there will be a FREE one hour for all on-street parking Monday to Saturday and FREE parking all day on Sundays in all Council car parks and on-street bays (from 9 Aug).
Remember, when parking in our car parks, you can get a 20 per cent discount if you pay via the RingGo App.
Enforcement has already been brought back for business and resident bays across Havering.
NHS and key frontline workers can apply for a Havering Heroes parking permit. The permit allows the holder to be able to park in resident parking bays for a maximum stay of 3 hours with no return to that bay for 2 hours, and also in Council-run car parks for a maximum stay of 3 hours with no return to that bay for 2 hours.
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We’ve been asking residents to have their say on plans to introduce safer streets around schools in Havering from September.
As lockdown continues to gradually ease and the Council seeks to improve safety for residents, the new School Streets scheme would introduce pedestrian areas around 18 of the borough’s schools at set times of the day in a bid to reduce traffic and improve safety and air quality.
We know many of you have lots of questions and a few concerns, so to answer those, we’ll be hosting a special Q&A event with Cllr Osman Dervish, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Environment, and our traffic and parking team, on our Facebook page next Thursday, 6 August, 2.30pm-3.30pm.
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We have become aware of a phishing campaign targeting Council Tax payers across the UK.
The campaign promises the victims a considerable Council Tax refund, in exchange for their payment details.
DO NOT CLICK on links in suspicious emails. If you're unsure, you should contact the Council directly via our website, and report any suspected scam emails to Action Fraud via the link below.
If we email you about a refund, always check our email address ends in '@havering.gov.uk'. We will always give you an online Havering web link to provide your payment details. If we contact you by phone, you can check we are Council staff by returning our call through the main Havering switchboard telephone number 01708 434343.
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Havering Council publishes a weekly report on coronavirus in Havering on its website.
It includes information on the number of Havering residents testing positive for COVID-19 each week, starting from 6 March 2020.
It also compares the number of new cases in Havering with neighbouring boroughs and the regional and national figures, and provides a link to the daily figures produced by the UK Government.
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 Upminster artist Keith Webb specialises in paintings that focus on urban architecture and what he describes as ‘the lumps and bumps that go to make up the city’.
Keith studied as a mature student at Havering Adult College and went on to gain a BA Hons and then an MA in Fine Art at the University of East London.
A gallery of his cityscapes and impressions of London buildings old and new can be seen on Havering Culture’s YouTube channel. The channel has a growing collection of online galleries by local artists and welcomes submissions. Email arts@havering.gov.uk.
View Keith's work on the link below:
From tomorrow (Saturday 1 August), the free TV licence for people over the age of 75 will only be available for those who claim Pension Credit.
Pension Credit is a benefit for people over state pension age. It is extra money that could top up your retirement income and help with the cost of living, but more than a hundred thousand families in London entitled to receive it could be missing out.
People who receive Pension Credit can also get free dental treatment and possibly help with Council Tax, housing costs and heating bills.
You may be eligible, even if you own your home or have savings.
You can apply by phoning the Government’s claim line on 0800 99 1234 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6pm) or online via the link below. They will need to know some details about you to check whether you are eligible, including:
- Your National Insurance number
- Information about your income, savings and investment
- Your bank account details.
If you would like more information about Pension Credit, please call the Age UK Advice Line on 0800 169 6565.
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