Sharing these newsletters
To share this newsletter on social media sites such as Facebook, please visit our COVID-19 Community Champions website www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/covid-champions where you will find links to this update and previous ones at the bottom of the page. Just copy and paste the link.
Read the MK COVID-19 Champions code of conduct here.
COVID-19 snapshot
Click here to see and print the full COVID-19 snapshot as of 27 January 2021 (data reported up to 24 January 2021)
Vaccination update
East of England on 28 January.
Region of Residence
England
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1st dose
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2nd dose
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Cumulative Total Doses to Date
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Total
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6,221,850
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444,011
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6,665,861
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East of England
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771,262
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53,705
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824,967
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The vaccination programme is now being extended to priority groups 3 and 4, so people aged 70 or over, and clinically extremely vulnerable adults should soon receive a letter asking them to book a vaccination appointment. Vaccinations are still being given to the highest priority groups, that’s people 80 and over, care home residents and staff, and frontline health and care staff. However, sites with enough capacity are now allowed to extend this offer to 70 year olds and above.
Follow the rules – help to stop the spread
When do I need to self-isolate?
You have a legal obligation to self-isolate if:
- You have COVID-19 symptoms - a new continuous cough, high temperature, or change in sense of taste or smell
- You test positive for COVID-19
- You live with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
- You live with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms (unless they have a negative test)
- You arrive in the UK from a country other than the Republic of Ireland
- You are contacted by NHS Test and Trace to say you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
Will I be paid if I have to self-isolate?
A £500 grant has been made available in England to people on low incomes who have to self-isolate.
You may also be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay if you are self-isolating. This is £95.85 a week and may be more if your employer has a sick pay scheme.
What does self-isolation mean?
Self-isolating means staying at home and not leaving it.
You should not go out for any reason - even to buy food, medicines or other essentials, or for exercise.
You should order online groceries, or ask friends or family to help out by leaving items outside your door.
What are the rules if I have COVID-19 symptoms?
If you have COVID-19 symptoms, however mild, you should self-isolate for at least 10 days from when they started, and arrange to get tested.
Use this link to book a test online at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call: 119. Lines are open 7am to 11pm.
If you have no symptoms, but have tested positive for the disease, you must also self-isolate for at least 10 days. This starts from the day you took the test. If you develop symptoms you must restart your 10-day isolation.
If you still have a temperature after 10 days, you should continue to self-isolate, but can go out again if, by then, you only have a cough or loss of taste or smell.
What happens if someone in your family gets sick?
How are the rules enforced?
Anyone in England who does not self-isolate after a positive test could be fined up to £10,000.
Some studies have suggested fewer than 20% of people completely follow the rules. Please help by sharing the importance of isolating fully with your friends and family.
What are the rules if I live with someone with COVID-19?
If someone you live with has coronavirus, you must also isolate, regardless of whether you have symptoms.
This means you must not leave the house for 10 days from the day they first became ill, or - if they have no symptoms - from the day they had a positive test result back.
If they then display symptoms, you must start a new 10-day isolation period, from when their symptoms started.
How do I self-isolate if I live with others?
- If you have symptoms or test positive, you need to try to keep apart from other members of your household.
- You should stay in a well-ventilated room where you can open a window, but keep the door closed.
- You should also use a separate bathroom. If this is not possible, then you should use the bathroom after everyone else and clean it thoroughly afterwards.
- Meals should be eaten in your room and not in a shared area like the kitchen.
We are here to help. Do you have any questions about self-isolation? Please email: COVIDChampions@milton-keynes.gov.uk
New testing centre opens in Wolverton
Residents in Wolverton and the surrounding area can now be tested for COVID-19 locally. A new testing centre has opened in the Agora Centre carpark, Church Street. The testing centre is a walk -in site not drive – in. Car parking is available on site but the test site is accessed on foot so can be used by people who don’t have a car.
If you have any of these symptoms
- A high temperature
- A new, continuous cough
- If you’ve lost your sense of smell or taste or if it has changed
Use this link to book a test online at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call: 119. Lines are open 7am to 11pm.
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Know the COVID-19 vaccination facts
Click the image to watch the video on the BBC website.
Millions of people in the UK have now had the vaccine. Some people are still worried because they're read misinformation such as that the vaccine contains pork or alcohol, or that it was approved too quickly.
To help bust these myths, some well known celebrities from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities have joined forces to create a new video.
You can watch the video on the BBC website here.
Support for local businesses in MK
In response to the impact that local and national COVID-19 restrictions have had on the economy, the Government has provided Milton Keynes Council grant funding to help businesses which have been most affected.
- During national restrictions
- During local Tier 2 and Tier 4 restrictions
- That have been required to remain closed since 23 March 2020
- Grants for open businesses in hospitality, accommodation and leisure during local Tier 2 restrictions
- Milton Keynes Local Business Support scheme
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Christmas Support payment for Wet-Led pubs. (closing date for applications is 31 January 2021)
Businesses in MK can check here to see what grants they may be eligible for the period from 5 November 2020 to 15 February 2021.
Further information on businesses subject to restrictions can be found here.
Further information on each of the current schemes available in Milton Keynes and how to apply is provided here.
Every Mind Matters
Public Health England launched their new Every Mind Matters campaign – ‘Make Inside Feel Better’ this week.
This 2021 phase of the adult campaign encourages people to make a free NHS-approved ‘Mind Plan’ which has now been tailored for the pandemic.
It just takes a few minutes to answer questions about how you are feeling and then provides a useful selection of short videos on a range of topics according to your personal needs including how to sleep better, dealing with negative thoughts, a 10 minute home workout, supporting your children and much more.
The Every Mind Matters campaign has been continuously updated during the outbreak with tips and support on how to deal with change, cope with money worries and job uncertainty and how to look after your mental wellbeing while staying at home.
Reporting concerns
One of the ways you can help is by reporting serious concerns about workplaces and other facilities where social distancing and other measures aren’t being followed. Intelligence like this can help us to track and control virus transmission.
Please tell us when the breach of restrictions took place, and a full address of the site if known. Your details will not be shared with the person or place you are telling us about.
You can write to us at COVIDconcern@milton-keynes.gov.uk.
We may not reply to all messages but we will read them all, and they’ll be used to gather intelligence so we can take action where needed.
Useful links
See the latest Government guidance here gov.uk/coronavirus.
Find COVID-19 Information from the NHS: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
To print and share this, please click "view it as a web page" at the top of this bulletin. This will take you to a web page with the option to print this off at the top.
To share this newsletter on social media sites such as Facebook, please visit our COVID-19 Community Champions website www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/covid-champions where you will find links to this update and previous ones at the bottom of the page. Just copy and paste the link.
Your Feedback
Have you found this email useful?
Let us know how we can improve: COVIDChampions@Milton-Keynes.gov.uk
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