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Wednesday 3 March 2021 (Update #188)
 By the time you read this over 65,000 people in Havering will have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Most residents over the age of 60 have now been offered a jab and I am delighted that so many people have done their bit to help keep us all safe and help bring the lockdown to an end by stepping up and taking the vaccination.
87 per cent of Havering residents aged 80 plus have had the jab, as have a staggering 97 per cent of those aged 75-79, and 94 per cent of those in the 70-74 age bracket.
I was pleased to hear in the Budget today that the Government is investing a further £1.65 billion in the COVID-19 vaccination programme to ensure that all the work necessary is done to understand how any new variants of coronavirus could affect the exisiting vacciantion effort, and to meet the target of offering vaccines to all adults in the UK by 31 July.
It was also encouraging to hear the Chancellor commit to extending the furlough scheme to run now until the end of September and to bring in many residents previously excluded from the scheme like many hard-working self-employed people who are the backbone of our local economy.
Additional grants for retailers, hospitality, accomodation, leisure and personal care businesses will, I know, also be very welcome in many Havering households.
Today is also our budget day and I can assure you that my administration will continue to be prudent with your money while protecting the most vulnerable in our society and making sure we are in the best shape to help local people and businesses recover from this awful pandemic. You can read more on this below.
If you want to contact me directly, you can 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
 Every week Havering Council publishes a report on coronavirus in the borough on its website. It includes data on infection rates as well as the vaccine roll-out and compares the success of that programme in Havering with other parts of London and the rest of the country.
The graph above is taken from the report and shows the number of Havering residents testing positive for coronavirus each week since 6 March last year. Until 2 July the figures did not include widespread testing in the community.
There were 158 cases reported in the last week, 70 less than the previous week. This equates to an incidence rate of 60.9 new cases per 100,000 population which is very slightly higher than the London average (60.2/100,000) but lower than that for the whole of England (90.6/100,000).
However, underscoring how dangerous this coronavirus pandemic remains, there were 16 COVID-19 related deaths in Havering in the week ending 19 February, as the graph below shows.
 As of 1 March there were 66 inpatients admitted due to COVID-19 occupying beds at our local hospitals. The trust that runs those hospitals, BHRUT, also publishes weekly data on the number of patients it is treating.
Tonight (3 March) at 7.30pm Havering Council holds its annual Council Tax setting meeting. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this will be a virtual meeting with Councillors joining the meeting from home via Zoom.
The meeting will approve the Council's budget for 2021/22 and set the Council Tax applicable from April.
You can read the documents the councillors will be discussing and, if you wish, watch the meeting via a webcast.
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Havering is the top London borough for offering over 80 per cent of pupils their first choice of secondary school place.
This compares to a London-wide average of around 60 per cent.
Meanwhile, over 93 per cent of children due to start secondary school this September have been offered a place at one of their top three preferred schools in the borough.
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A man who failed to comply with the conditions set out in the planning permission for a local construction project has been successfully prosecuted.
Mr Pritpal Singh, and his business Stirling Property Investments Limited, owner of the site known as Tara Court on Southend Arterial Road, Romford, gained planning permission to demolish a bungalow and build eight flats on the property.
The planning permission was granted on the condition that car parking, landscaping and refuse and recycling provision be provided. These conditions were not complied with.
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Our mental health awareness campaign, BeNiceToYourNoggin, and local youth charity Lifeline Projects are putting on a free online concert this Friday (5 March) to help raise awareness of mental health support.
The event – headlined by MOBO winner Guvna B - will be exclusively for young people in Havering and hopes to provide a place for them to discuss mental health issues and learn more about the local help available.
If you are aged 11-25, or know someone who is, click on the button below to join the event.
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If you have any doubts about taking a COVID-19 vaccine when it is offered to you, or you know someone who has concerns, see this video.
If you are 60 or over, an eligible frontline health or care worker, or eligible for carer’s allowance, and have not yet had, or been booked, for your first COVID-19 vaccination you can book online or call 119.
Information on the vaccine is available in a variety of languages including Gujarati, Urdu and Punjabi to help explain the coronavirus vaccine and the importance of having it to reduce the spread of the virus.
The NHS's East London Health and Care Partnership has a website page full of information on the coronavirus vaccine, including answers to many frequently asked questions.
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One in three people with COVID-19 have no symptoms, and can pass it on to others without realising. If you cannot work from home please test twice weekly at any of Havering's rapid test centres.
These centres are open from 7am to 7pm on weekdays and 10am to 7pm on weekends. Find your nearest rapid testing site.
See our short video that explains the simple process.
You can also now book tests or place an order online for home test kits if you are in a household where children will be attending primary or secondary school from next week.
Of course, it also remains vitally important to book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms. There is information on booking procedures, and opening hours for all our local testing locations on our website.
Help
If you, or someone you know, has concerns around care, urgent issues with their health and wellbeing or lack of access to supplies, including food, please call our free to use helpline: 0800 368 5201.
It is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and between 11am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays for emergencies only.
You can also email us if you, or someone you know, needs help.
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Havering residents who are clinically extremely vulnerable and have been advised to continue to shield, are still entitled to free bulky waste collections during the time they need to shield.
If you believe you are eligible, or someone you know is, and you would like to book a free collection, please do not use the online form, but call 01708 432563 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
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Our local hospitals have put a lot of hard work into making people feel safe in them.
In recent weeks endoscopy services at Queen’s Hospital have resumed, the Birth Centre at Queen’s Hospital has re-opened and the hospital has started to carry out some of the higher priority planned surgeries.
One brave patient, Georgina Dutton, talked about her experience of having a serious illness during this coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on World Cancer Day, she said: “Do not stay quiet, even if you only have one symptom. I have felt very safe entering the hospital during the pandemic. There are so many procedures in place to keep people safe.”
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Tomorrow (4 March) is World Book Day and as part of the celebrations Havering Libraries is holding a number of special online events including a live Zoom session with children’s author Ali Sparkes (pictured) this Saturday, 6 March from 2.30-3.30 pm.
Ali is the award winning author of The Shapeshifter, Unleashed and Switch series of books.
Ali will be talking about her “wonky path to authordom”.
Individuals and families can register in advance by email.
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Very soon you will receive a letter that will tell you everything you need to know about how to complete Census 2021 online.
Paper copies of the census will be available if required.
Census 2021 takes place on Sunday 21 March.
By filling in your census, you will help shape Havering for the next 10 years. It’s a legal requirement to fill it in, and failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £1,000.
If you need help understanding the Census form, help is available in 49 different languages.
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Transport for London (TfL) is reminding heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators to apply for a free safety permit, as enforcement of London’s new Direct Vision Standard for heavy goods vehicles began on Monday (1 March).
All owners of HGVs over 12 tonnes now need to display a valid permit to continue operating in London. TfL’s lorry safety scheme will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will be enforced on all roads in Greater London.
Also a new, tighter Low Emission Zone (LEZ) standard came into force this week to coincide with enforcement of the Direct Vision Standard.
Heavy vehicles including lorries, buses, coaches and specialist vehicles will need to meet Euro VI (NOx and PM) emissions standards or pay a daily charge to drive within the Greater London area.
Vehicle owners can check their compliance with the new LEZ emissions standards by visiting Tfl.gov.uk/lez or searching ‘LEZ’.
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Children are curious, they explore the world by putting things in their mouths.
Lithium or ‘button batteries’ can be fatal.
In the UK, Children’s toys are covered by safety regulations which require batteries to be enclosed in a secure compartment that can’t easily be opened by children.
There are many unregulated toys bought online and household appliances, containing button batteries, which are not child secure.
If swallowed, button batteries react with saliva to create caustic soda (the chemical used to unblock drains) and can burn through a child’s food pipe causing internal bleeding and even death.
Please be vigilant. Buy toys from a trusted brand and keep batteries, used or unused, well out of a child’s reach.
Recycle used batteries as soon as possible and if you suspect your child has swallowed a battery, take them to your closest emergency department (A+E) urgently or call 999.
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Havering Council is committed to providing much needed new affordable homes for local people, and supporting vulnerable people to have a home that they can be proud to live in.
A 12-week public consultation on the aims and objectives for a new Havering Housing Strategy closes this Sunday (7 March).
If you haven't already done so, particularly if you are a Havering Council tenant or leaseholder, please share your thoughts and opinions in our online survey.
Alternatively, you can call 01708 434000 to go through the questionnaire with a member of Havering Council's Community Engagement team.
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