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With new national restrictions now in place until 2 December 2020 to help curb the spread of COVID-19, it is now more important than ever that we all look out for each other.
Please remember that you are not alone during COVID-19 and support services are available. Cllr Bev Craig, the Council’s Executive Member for Adult Health and Wellbeing has this message of support for Manchester residents.
With the national restrictions now in effect until 2 December 2020 it is important to remember to:
• Stay home to protect lives
• Only leave home for essential reasons
• Remember – Hands Face Space
• Let's all look after each other
For more information about the new restrictions www.manchester.gov.uk/coronavirus
Support to help you get through COVID-19
Manchester Community Response Hub
The Community Response Hub offers support to Manchester's most vulnerable people to help them cope with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Hub is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and can help with:
• Access to food
• Delivery of medication
• Combating loneliness
• Managing fuel top-up payments
• Getting access to services online
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Help with Debt, Bills and Borrowing
If you are not working or furloughed at the moment due to COVID-19 and need help with debt, bills or borrowing, visit www.manchester.gov.uk/helpinghands for advice and support.
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Emergency Fund for Unpaid Carers
The Fund is open for carers (aged 16+) to ensure the ongoing health and wellbeing of both the carer and the person who needs care. This includes those households where a child or young person is the carer.
The funding can be used for transport costs (including taxis) or fuel, furniture, emergency delivery of food and one-off practical costs to help with the caring role at this time.
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Support for people Self isolating with COVID-19
Where people have been told to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace and their income has been affected, they could be eligible for a one-off support payment. Find out more.
Mental Health support services
The SHOUT text messaging service gives free, confidential mental health support by text message, and is now available to people of all ages in Greater Manchester who are in crisis.
Other support services
Further help is available, such as advice for parents for Special Educational Needs children or those suffering domestic abuse. Find out more
New Government Guidance for visiting care homes
New government guidance for how family and friends can visit their loved ones in care homes during national restrictions has been announced.
We fully appreciate the eagerness of families to see their loved ones and we are working with care home providers to see how these new guidelines can be implemented successfully, so visiting takes place in a COVID- secure way using PPE and social distancing, which protects care home staff, residents, their families and friends.
Please contact your care home’s management team to see what COVID secure visiting arrangements they have in place.
The government guidance can be read in full online
 More local Test and Trace sites for Manchester this winter
To help Manchester through COVID-19 more local testing sites will be available this winter.
If you have COVID-19 symptoms, book a free test by ringing 119 or visit nhs.uk/coronavirus where you’ll be offered a testing site based on your postcode and needs.
Manchester Medic says NHS is here to help you through winter
Dr Manisha Kumar is reminding local communities that your GP Service is here and ready to help you through this winter. Manisha says doctors want to do all they can to protect the vulnerable, why getting a flu jab and students registering with a GP is so important. Find out more.
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Celebrating Diwali safely
We wish you all Shush Diwali for the Festival of Light celebrations from the 14 November, but please keep safe by following the COVID-19 restrictions.
Stay home and only mix with people you live with or who are part of your support bubble. Check to see if your local temple has Diwali prayers/worship online for you to join in. It is safer to meet your loved ones online or on a video call to mark the occasion.
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Changes to this year’s Manchester Remembrance Day celebrations
Manchester’s annual Remembrance Sunday is different this year, due to the impact of the coronavirus. There will be no parade or public service at the city centre Cenotaph, people can watch a pre-recorded service at 11am on Remembrance Sunday 8 November: www.manchester.gov.uk/remembrancesunday
You can download an image of a poppy from the Royal British Legion website to display in your window to remember those who died. You can donate to the poppy appeal as a one-off donation or a regular gift.
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 A teenage view: what it’s like to have a Covid test
We all know that teenagers can sometimes be testing, but in this case that’s not a judgement - and more of an action - as we asked one youngster to report back on her Covid swab experience. Here, 14-year-old Ellie* describes what she thought a test would be like – and how it really was.
So, Ellie, why did you have a test?
I thought my food had started to taste weird – and we knew that one of the Covid signs was a change in taste or loss of taste.
How did you get a test?
I told my Mum about things not tasting right. She then went online at 6.15pm and got me a test at a centre you walk through, on Ancoats Street in Manchester, for 7pm. I had the test and twelve minutes later we were on our way home again!
What happened at the test site?
You walk into lit up white tent with little partition areas in it. There’s instructions on the wall about how to do the test, which is all sealed up in a bag.
What did you think the test would be like?
I was really worried it would get stuck in my nose or go right up into my brain.
Ok…so do you think the swab did go into your brain?
No, it definitely didn’t! It did make gag though for a few seconds – but I knew I wasn’t going to be sick. I did the test myself and then we left it at the site. We get the results in 48 hours.
So, what do you think now? What would you tell your friends?
It was scary because I’ve heard so much about coronavirus. And it was really weird looking at my tonsils in a mirror to do the test. But I’m glad I did it and it was all done really quickly….just got to wait now for the result and not go out.
Since writing this piece Ellie's test at the Ancoats local test site came back negative.
*To help protect Ellie's identity, we've changed her name for this article.
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