Tuesday 15 June 2021
 It is said that ‘patience is a virtue’.
Which is just as well after we heard the news from the Prime Minister last night that Step 4 on the roadmap out of lockdown will be delayed until next month.
This delay will allow more time for people to be jabbed, with the race between the vaccine and the virus tipped in favour of the vaccine.
Please stick to the current rules and guidelines to keep as many Havering residents as safe as possible, and to avoid any further delays in reaching Step 4.
Here's a reminder:
- Outdoors, gatherings of up to 30 people are allowed
- Indoors: The rule of six people, or a larger group of up to two households is allowed
- Weddings, wedding receptions, wakes, and christenings are allowed with up to 30 people now, and this limit will be relaxed from Monday 21 June. Read the latest guidance.
- Funerals are allowed with as many people as a COVID-secure venue can accommodate with social distancing
- Continue to work from home, if possible.
I know how desperate many people are to get back to living their lives that this final step of the Government's roadmap promised. But we have always known that this would be guided by data and the advice of scientists, so we must bear with restrictions for a little while longer.
Please continue to set the example for others to follow, by being vaccinated when invited and testing regularly, encouraging others to do the same, and protecting each other by keeping to the hands, face, space, and fresh air, advice.
You can read below how you could take one of the best shots seen at the home of the Hammers, with a vaccine jab at the London Stadium this Saturday.
In the meantime, I hope that you are enjoying the glorious weather, and our great outdoors, visiting our beautiful parks, our town centres, or cooling off in the pools at our new leisure centres.
Stay safe.
Cllr Roger Ramsey
Havering Council Cabinet Member for Finance and Property
With the Euros football tournament in full flow we know that friends and family across Havering will be getting together to watch, celebrate and commiserate.
Please make sure you follow these rules and protect the people around you:
- If you're meeting up with friends, outdoors is safest
- If you meet indoors - open windows and doors whenever possible and stick to the rule of six people or two households
- Wash your hands regularly
- Wear a face covering if you can
- Keep apart from anyone you do not live with
- Test regularly.
Thanks for helping us to keep Havering safe.
|
Havering Council is keen to support people exercising and enjoying our wonderful parks.
We have already agreed two park runs in the borough, in Harrow Lodge Park (pictured) and Raphael Park and we have notified the national parkrun body.
We will continue to support this activity and welcome any other applications for additional park runs in the borough.
Parkrun have stated that it's their intention that 5k events in England will restart on Saturday 24 July.
|
Getting vaccinated is one of the key ways to get things back to normal and will protect you, your friends and your family from COVID-19.
Read more about vaccines.
If you are aged 23 or over (or will be by 1 July) you can book appointments at a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy now.
Alternatively, you can wait to be invited to go to a local NHS service or you can book an appointment for this Saturday (19 June) when a mass vaccination event will be held at the London Stadium in Stratford (pictured).
From 10am to 8pm the stadium in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, E20 2ST will be open to anyone aged 23 or over who has not yet had a COVID-19 vaccination to get a jab. However, you must book in advance. Walk-in appointments are not available.
If you wish, you can book as a family or a group of friends to have your first doses of the vaccine together. Or you could combine it with a visit to the Olympic Park or visit to nearby Westfield shopping centre.
According to health officials, aound 21,000 people in North-East London under 40 years of age who have underlying health conditions (which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality from COVID-19) are yet to be vaccinated. If that figure includes you, please don't miss miss out on this opportunity to protect yourself against the more infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Useful information:
If you are travelling to the Stadium from Stratford Station, marshals and signage will direct you to the vaccination site. The Stadium is a 15 minute walk from Stratford Station.
Please turn up on time, rather than early, so we can make sure people are socially distanced. Please only bring a small bag with you, for security reasons people with suitcases and big bags can't be allowed in.
If you can, bring your NHS number with you - this will help the NHS record your vaccination quickly. If you don't know it, you can find it online but you can still get your jab without your NHS number, or if you don’t have one.
After your jab your vaccination status will be updated on the national booking service within 10 working days of this event and you will be able to book or manage your second dose appointment through that link.
|
 Every week Havering Council publishes a report on coronavirus in the borough on its website.
It includes data on infection rates and testing, as well as the vaccine roll-out. It also 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. It shows the number of Havering residents testing positive for coronavirus each week since 6 March last year.
There were 75 cases reported in the last week, 22 more than the previous week.
This corresponds to an incidence rate on 11 June of 29 new cases per 100,000 population. This is lower than the London (68/100,000) and the whole of England (72/100,000) figures. Unfortunately the incidence rate in London has almost doubled in the last two weeks.
Sadly, a total of 924 people in Havering have died with COVID-19 but no new deaths have been reported in the week ending 4 June.
Vaccines
The latest data shows that by 10 June over 67 per cent of all adults in Havering have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
48 per cent of all adults in Havering have now received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Hospitals
As of 13 June there were nine inpatients admitted due to COVID-19 to our local hospitals.
The trust that runs those hospitals, BHRUT, also publishes weekly data on the number of patients it is treating.
 To help make sure you're not passing on COVID-19 without knowing, regular, twice-weekly rapid testing for people without symptoms is available for everyone in Havering.
Our local BHRUT hospitals provide maternity care to around 8,200 women each year, and they are encouraging pregnant women and their partners to take a lateral flow test 24 hours before an appointment. This will keep people safe, and play a key role in allowing the hospitals to further relax the visiting restrictions in their maternity departments.
You should still use testing even if you have had one or both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.
You can order a test kit online or pick one up locally. Find your nearest testing site and collection point.
If you aren't sure how to do a rapid test at home, visit one of these centres first and be shown by the professionals. You can then take a test kit home with you to use in subsequent weeks.
Have symptoms?
It remains vitally important to book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
Cancer patients across north east London are continuing to receive vital care and treatment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to a ground-breaking collaboration between the NHS and independent providers.
The pandemic placed huge pressure on the NHS as efforts continued to care for the many COVID-19 patients who required specialist, hospital-based care.
To ensure people in Havering and neighbouring boroughs have continued access to essential cancer services, the North East London Cancer Alliance has worked with local NHS trusts and the independent sector to find much-needed extra capacity. Space has been found at the London Independent hospital, as well as The London Clinic and King Edward VII’s Hospital.
These spaces will be COVID-19 protected sites, separate from emergency work, to keep patients safe. To help keep it that way, patients will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days before coming in for appointments.
|
Over the next few days, the weather is set to remain hot.
Heat can be extremely dangerous for us, especially younger or elderly people, and for pets in cars.
Protect yourself from the sun by drinking more water, wearing loose, light coloured clothing, staying in the shade or cooler places, wearing sunscreen and minimising travel.
Hot weather can be especially difficult for those sleeping rough. If there is someone you think may be sleeping rough in your neighbourhood, please use the Streetlink app to connect them with local support services. If someone is in immediate danger please call 999.
|
Havering Council's Local Land Charges department continues to experience very high volumes of searches.
This has resulted in the estimated return time for official searches increasing to a maximum of 18 working days.
Any searches that the Council received before and including Monday 17 May 2021 have been returned completed to the search requestor.
If you are receiving conflicting information, please contact your agent or representative.
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of searches that are being requested due to the stamp duty holiday deadline, Havering Council cannot provide confirmation that any searches received now will be returned completed by 30 June 2021.
|
 The RSPB at Rainham Marshes have organised a beach clean for Sunday 27 June.
Between 10am and 1pm you can help protect the wildlife on the Thames by becoming seashore guardians for the day. It's an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this particular river landscape. The litter pick will take place along the foreshore of the Thames section of the reserve.
The RSPB will provide sacks and litter pickers but can no longer provide boots and gloves due to COVID-19 restrictions. You should dress appropriately for the weather including good footwear.
It's free to join in and you don't have to book in advance. the event takes place at Rainham Marshes nature reserve, New Tank Hill Road, Purfleet, Essex,
RM19 1SZ.
There's more information on the RSPB's website.
You can join the celebrations of Make Music Day on Monday 21 June.
The day of music making is a free celebration of music that takes place in 125 countries on the 21 June every year.
Live performances will be taking place in Hornchurch High Street and at the Mercury Mall, Romford, with streamed performances available to watch via Havering Culture's YouTube and Facebook pages.
If you wish to get involved, email Havering Council's Arts team.
|
Every year, air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK.
The World Health Organisation and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today.
Poor air quality causes heart and lung diseases, is linked to low birth weight and children’s lung development and may even contribute to mental health issues.
Clean Air Day is the UK's largest air pollution campaign and this year it takes place on Thursday 17 June.
There are a number of actions Havering Council is taking to make the air in Havering cleaner. This includes introducing School Streets at three schools. They prevent cars from driving around schools at drop-off and pick-up times.
Havering Council is also working with schools to introduce walking zones maps, providing advice on cleaner air routes, and highlighting the benefits of travelling sustainably.
We are hosting anti-idling workshops for our residents and schools, in co-operation with Havering Volunteer Centre and will continue raising awareness of air pollution from idling, as part of the Idling Action London project.
One thousand trees will be planted across the borough over the next year and the Council is regularly planting shrubs and flowers that help improve air quality in pollution hotspots.
|
Many people are using their rear gardens more since COVID-19 has changed the way we spend time at home.
Buildings or ‘outbuildings’ in a rear garden can often be constructed in Havering without planning permission providing certain restrictions are met.
To check whether your proposed building requires permission, check the interactive house on our planning portal or you can send an email.
The full regulations for outbuildings can be found online.
|
The closing date for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme is the end of this month.
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in the the UK, applying to the scheme is a necessary step to securing your right to remain in the UK.
If this scheme applies to you, check that you have also applied for your children.
Nearly 2 million European Londoners and their family members have already been granted status under the scheme. The European Londoners Hub hosts detailed guidance about the EU Settlement Scheme in a range of different languages.
|
Advance warning: In August there will be closures on the District line for essential track replacement work designed to deliver better journeys and greater reliability.
Transport for London has announced that between Wednesday 4 and Thursday 12 August, there will be no service between Earl’s Court and Aldgate East on the District line.
On the weekend of 7 and 8 August, the planned closure on the District line will also be extended from Earl’s Court to Hammersmith, Kensington Olympia, Wimbledon and Edgware Road.
|
Harold Wood Station has had a complete overhaul of the look, feel, and safety of the station.
This includes the creation of a plaza with a new ramp providing step-free access, as well as stairs leading from Station Road to the ticket office and platforms.
The new plaza boasts a well-lit, safe and modern waiting area providing commuters and the wider community with a more pleasant experience when using the station and surrounding area.
Cycle parking is now accessible to all with additional spaces provided to further encourage cycling in the borough.
This upgrade is part of a wider programme of improvements around the station which will be served by the new Elizabeth line.
|
Three hard-working A Level students from New City College’s Havering Sixth Form campus have secured places at the highly selective University of Oxford John Locke Summer School.
Tashya Kimacia, Tadgh Kerin, and Kacper Loniewski (pictured from left to right) were chosen after a tough application and interview process and will join the programme in the summer break alongside other talented students from across the world.
|
|
