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Monday 2 November 2020
 From this Thursday, 5 November, everyone must stay at home, and may leave only for a limited set of reasons. These include:
- For education;
- For work, if you cannot work from home;
- For exercise and recreation outdoors, with your household, support bubble or on your own with one person from another household (socially distanced);
- For all medical reasons, appointments and to escape injury or harm;
- To shop for food and essentials;
- And to provide care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer.
Non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues will be closed. Click and collect services can continue and essential shops, including supermarkets, will remain open. Pubs, bars, restaurants must close, except for takeaway and delivery services.
Although the speed of the decision about a national lockdown shocked many of us, it was not a complete surprise. We know that cases are rising and that we must protect our NHS. As of the middle of last week there were 161 people in our hospitals, including 30 people admitted during the previous 24 hours.
Due to the speed of the decision there are lots of details still to be worked out regarding Havering Council services and we will be communicating them with you in this bulletin on Wednesday and via our social media channels. As was the case during the first lockdown, we will be making sure that essential services our residents rely on are maintained. While some services that are not necessarily essential may still run as normal, others will need to adapt to the lockdown in order to free staff up to work on some crucial and urgent issues.
I will be the the first to acknowledge that a winter lockdown will be more difficult in some ways because of the shorter, colder days. But there are good differences too: we’ve been through this before, the medical treatments available to those who fall badly ill with COVID-19 have dramatically improved, and we have learnt the importance of wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing.
Together, we can beat this awful coronavirus although it is a longer, harder battle than many of us could have imagined back in March.
If you need help during this new lockdown don't foget that our Havering Helps package of financial support can, among other things, provide cash grants to help with the cost of replacing white goods in your home or heating your home over the winter months.
If you are vulnerable to COVID-19, over 70, or have an underlying health condition, there are sensible steps you can take to prepare for winter. If you shop online, book in deliveries as far ahead as possible, and make sure prescriptions are up to date and get your flu jab booked in.
The annual Remembrance Sunday parades are a significant event in Havering’s Calendar. This borough prides itself on taking every opportunity it can to pay tribute and honour servicemen and women, both past and present.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible for these events to go ahead safely. Our veterans have fought for and protected us, and now we must ensure we are doing the same for them through this dark period – we would be doing them a dis-service if we put their health at risk.
Just because we cannot have a parade, it does not mean that we cannot mark the day and give it the attention it deserves. See the article below for more on how you can reflect, remember, and pay your respects from the safety of your own home.
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
Sadly, Remembrance Sunday will be commemorated across the borough in a different way this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Havering Council is encouraging residents to ‘Remember at Home’.
The annual Romford Remembrance Sunday parade and service will not take place this year. Instead, it will be replaced by a pre-recorded, socially distanced, wreath-laying ceremony in partnership with the Romford Royal British Legion (RBL), which will go live this Sunday, 8 November.
The video will be published on the Council’s Facebook and YouTube channels on Remembrance Sunday morning.
Despite the changes this year, you can still mark the day appropriately by taking part in a ‘Remember at Home’ activity, whether that is watching the pre-recorded ceremony, pausing for the Two Minute Silence, or by placing a poppy in your window or wreaths on your door.
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With larger firework displays cancelled this year due to COVID-19, please stay safe and considerate if you plan to host your own bonfire or fireworks night at home.
Current COVID-19 guidelines in the borough mean that households can only meet in groups of up to six outdoors, with social distancing.
However from this Thursday (5 November) then you can only meet with one other person outdoors who is not living in your household or "bubble". Residents considering a firework party must not exceed this limit, or they may face a fine.
Fireworks can also cause significant distress to vulnerable people, as well as animals. Please take this into consideration and purchase quieter fireworks if you wish to use them, and ensure neighbours are made aware before letting them off.
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The Government has announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, known as the furlough scheme, will remain open until December.
Employees on the scheme will receive 80 per cent of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500.
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Only request a COVID-19 test if you have symptoms of the virus.
There is significant testing capacity available at our local sites so do get tested if you have symptoms and book a test online.
Our local COVID-19 test centres are in Romford, South Hornchurch and Harold Hill.
The testing in Romford is delivered by a mobile unit in the rear car park of Havering Town Hall so please do not go into Havering Town Hall or Havering Central Library buildings. This centre will be open this week on Wednesday and Saturday (4 and 7 November). You can 'drive through' or 'walk through' at this site. Vehicles and pedestrians should enter via Park End Road, Romford RM1 4AU.
If you or someone you have come into contact with tests positive for COVID-19, or you have symptoms of coronavirus, you must self-isolate immediately. If you have tested positive, the isolation period is 10 days from when symptoms first started.
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The census is a survey that happens every 10 years and provides a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. This helps to plan and fund public services and provide invaluable information to organisations like the NHS and Havering Council.
The census will take place in March 2021 and the Office for National Statistics which runs it, is now recruiting a number of temporary roles to help make it happen.
You can find details of current openings, application information and more at censusjobs.co.uk.
These vacancies include:
- Census officer – Working with the community and talking to people to champion the census, boost response rates and ensure residents have the right support to fill in their form.
- Census team leader – overseeing and coordinating the field operation in an assigned area, guiding a team of census officers and providing the tools and expertise they need to succeed.
- Census area manager – motivating and managing the team leaders, tracking their performance and ensuring their teams visit addresses to help everyone complete the census.
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Havering’s Safeguarding Week 2020 launches today offering a host of free virtual events, with guest speakers, and a wealth of information and expertise to help you keep children, young people and adults safe.
Speakers include Mike Ward who will be talking about safeguarding vulnerable people and Ciaran White from Havering Mind discussing Mental Health and COVID-19.
The week, organised by Havering Safeguarding Adults & Children Board, includes sessions and lectures covering a wide range of topics including domestic violence, suicide and self-harm, and children’s mental health.
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Join Havering Music School for their free 'Coffee with a Composer' class on Zoom, starting tomorrow, Tuesday 3 November, at 11am.
Feeling a bit lonely? Love music and a chat? Join in.
Send an email and you will receive a link to the class.
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