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Wednesday 30 September 2020
 Over the past week I have read a number of comments in the media and in emails I have received from people suggesting that there has been an over-reaction by the Government to the coronavirus pandemic. Some of these people suggest that COVID-19 is really just another type of flu and that there is no risk to the vast majority of the population.
This is wrong and dangerous. The number of people dying from COVID-19 in the UK in the week to 28 September was 191, up from 144 the previous week. Many studies have shown that COVID-19 is far more deadly than seasonal flu.
As of yesterday there were 2,049 patients in hospital in the UK with coronavirus, a rise from 1,331 the previous week. 262 of those patients were in a very serious state in ventilator beds.
Here in Havering the number of people testing positive for coronavirus has jumped 47% in a week. See the news item later in this bulletin.
Cumulatively, over 1,400 people in Havering have now been tested positive for COVID-19 and we know that infection rates in some neighbouring boroughs are much higher than our rate, so it is inevitable that ours will rise too in the coming weeks.
The latest NHS Digital report, shows that NHS 111 or 999 calls made by Havering
residents with potential COVID-19 symptoms have also risen steeply since early
September. It shows that 217 calls were made in the week ending last Friday. This data suggests a rising level of infection in the community and we believe that this is primarily down to different households mixing indoors and when they meet, for example, outside the school gates when collecting or taking children to school, or together in parks.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is more important than ever that we now always social distance, regularly wash our hands, follow the rule of six indoors and outdoors, and wear a face covering in every shop we visit, or when standing close to other people not living in our household.
Please do your bit by only requesting a coronavirus test if you have symptoms. If you do need a test, isolate until results are known. If you are isolating follow the rules - stay at home and don't have visitors. More on that later in this bulletin.
See our website for more information on how you can be a part of our #DoingMyBit campaign to help keep us all safe.
If you want to contact me directly, email me. However, please be patient as there may be a delay of a day or two in getting back to you due to the volume of messages I am receiving.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
Businesses and venues in the hospitality, tourism and leisure industries, including pubs, restaurants, hotels, museums, cinemas, as well as close contact services such as hairdressers, must display an official NHS QR code poster, which allows visitors to 'check-in' and log their details automatically.
Using Bluetooth technology, the app will monitor everyone the user comes into contact with, and if someone tests positive, it will notify everyone that may have been infected.
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The Government has updated its guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 however mild, self-isolate for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started.
You should arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19 – go to testing to arrange. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
If you are not experiencing symptoms but have tested positive for COVID-19, you must self-isolate for at least 10 days, starting from the day the test was taken.
If you develop symptoms during this isolation period, restart your 10-day isolation from the day you developed symptoms.
Since Monday (28 September), people in England are required by law to self-isolate if they test positive or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
New fines, ranging from £1,000 to £10,000 have also been introduced for those failing to self-isolate when required to do so, or knowingly providing false information about close contacts to NHS Test and Trace.
A new support payment has been introduced alongside these new legal requirements for self-isolation.
People in England who must self-isolate, are unable to work from home, who are losing income, and who are claiming qualifying benefits or working tax credit, will be eligibile for the new £500 ‘Test and Trace Support’ payment.
If you reside in Havering and have been instructed by the NHS to self-isolate and meet the eligibility criteria mentioned above, please register your interest by email and you will be contacted by mid-October 2020 to complete an online application form.
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Each week Havering Council publishes a report on coronavirus in the borough on its website.
It includes information on the number of Havering residents testing positive for COVID-19 each week, from the start of the pandemic in March.
In the latest report you can see that 110 people in Havering have tested positive for coronavirus over the last week, a large rise on the previous week.
The report 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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So far this year, via DABD, Havering Council has spent £25,000 on white goods and furniture, and £185,000 on cash payments to help low income households cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Council's "Havering Helps" package, first unveiled at the end of March, recognised that measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 would have financial impacts for many in the borough.
The Havering Emergency Assistance Scheme has taken £2m from the Council's emergency reserves to provide residents in real financial need with up to £100 a time in cash, up to a limit of £1,000 a year, as well as food vouchers and help purchasing white goods to replace broken washing machines, ovens and fridge freezers.
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Only request a COVID-19 test if you have symptoms of the virus.
This helps people who have symptoms to get a test when they need it. If you take a test when you have no symptoms you could be taking a test away from someone who really needs it.
We recommend that when someone is unable to book a test, or are offered a location or time which is not convenient, they try again a few hours later or the next day because more tests are made available throughout the day.
COVID-19 testing is available in Romford, South Hornchurch and Harold Hill.
When visiting a site, you must not visit other local amenities – after testing return home and remain in isolation until the result of the test is known. Wear a face covering, maintain social distance - especially when queueing for a test - and do not travel on public transport.
Please remember if you have chosen to get tested at one of our location sites rather than get a home testing kit, you must have booked an appointment on the NHS website or called 119.
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 The new NHS COVID-19 app is supported on Android and Apple phones.
The app currently supports Apple iOS versions 13.5 and higher, and Android version Marshmallow (v6.0) and higher.
This is because the app needs the Exposure Notification framework developed by Apple and Google, which is only available in these versions.
Older models of Apple (iPhone 5S and iPhone 6/6Plus or earlier) and Android phones that do not support iOS 13.5 or Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and higher will not be able to use the app.
Windows phones and new models of Huawei smartphones launched from May 2019 will also not be able to use the app. This is because your phone needs access to the Apple App Store, or Google Play Services, to be able to download the NHS COVID-19 app.
If you want to see if you can upgrade your phone click on the appropriate button.
 Each year Havering's Election Services team must review and update the Electoral Register.
To do this, forms have been sent out over the last two months to every residential property in the borough addressed to ‘The Resident’.
You are required by law to check the information on the form is correct and update it if necessary.
If you have not completed and sent back your form, please do so as a matter of urgency, this will avoid a member of staff having to visit your property and will save us money.
This year’s work to update the electoral register is taking place as we face ongoing public health challenges. Please respond to any messages from the electoral registration team promptly to minimise the need for our teams to visit homes to confirm details.
If home visits are required, our officers will be door-knocking between 1 and 16 October.
Anybody not currently registered to vote will need to register to vote - even if you added their name to the form.
In many situations a face covering must now be worn. A face covering should:
- cover your nose and mouth while allowing you to breathe comfortably
- fit comfortably but securely against the side of the face
- be secured to the head with ties or ear loops
- be made of a material that you find to be comfortable and breathable, such as cotton
- ideally include at least two layers of fabric
- unless disposable, it should be able to be washed with other items of laundry according to fabric washing instructions and dried without causing the face covering to be damaged.
If the face covering you are using is single use, dispose of it in a residual waste bin. Do not put it in a recycling bin.
You can make your own face covering.
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 As we get ready to celebrate Black History Month from next week, Havering Libraries are sharing children’s stories read by some of their black and ethnic minority staff.
The first episode features Marilyn Howell reading Zoe and Beans: Pirate Treasure by Chloe and Mick Inkpen. You can watch the video by clicking the image above.
Black History Month takes place in October every year and is an annual commemoration of the history, achievements and contributions of black people in the UK.
Please don't be concerned if you see smoke and the emergency services at Thomas England House, Waterloo Estate, Romford this Friday afternoon.
We're supporting the London Fire Brigade (LFB) with their fire evacuation training taking place in one of the tower blocks opposite the Brewery Shopping Centre. A similar exercise took place last week.
The LFB will be simulating a mock fire using smoke machines to represent a major evacuation and will be on site from 1pm to 4pm.
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Face coverings and gloves, used to protect ourselves against coronavirus, are being littered.
This pollutes our environment and puts our wildlife at risk.
Always bin your disposable face coverings and gloves, and consider using a reusable face covering.
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As a consequence of Great Britain leaving the EU, and the end of the transition period on 31 December, arrangements for taking pets to any EU country will change from 1 January 2021.
The Government has recently updated its guidance for people travelling to the EU with their pet cats, ferrets or dogs, including assistance dogs.
In the EU Pet Travel Scheme, there are three categorisations of countries outside the EU and pet travel requirements will change depending on what category Great Britain becomes on 1 January 2021.
To make sure your pet is able to travel from Great Britain to the EU from 1 January 2021, you should contact your vet at least four months before travelling to get the latest advice.
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While we recognise that the majority of dog walkers within Havering clean up after their dogs, a minority of people still fail to do so.
We have received a number of reports recently of irresponsible dog owners leaving bags of dog waste on pavements, fences, or hanging from branches in trees and bushes.
We will clean up dog and other animal mess such as bird droppings in public areas as soon as we can.
We are also committed to fining dog owners who do not clean up after their animals. The fine is £80.
Please notify us if you know about dog mess that needs to be cleaned up. If you know who is responsible for not cleaning up after their dog you can also give us information on the form.
If you have a dog, please do your bit and bag up your dog waste and then bin it appropriately.
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The Havering Community Hub offers great activities for both children and parents and also, importantly, offers access to online safety tools to ensure children are using digital platforms safely.
Go to the “Explore” section of the site to find out more about what’s on in Havering and the range of online training that is available for people of all ages.
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