Nottingham has been good at responding to the COVID crisis but there appears to be a slight rise in the city and county in COVID cases which is an important reminder that we have to continue to follow the rules and guidelines to keep each other safe and avoid a local lockdown.

To make sure we avoid situations like Leicester and Greater Manchester it is essential that you:

• Maintain social distance and keep 2 meters apart
• Keep left on pavements and pathways
• Wear a face covering in shops and on public transport
• Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds
• Self-isolate if you have symptons and get a test, call 119 or visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested.

This weekend the Government is also extending the list of places that people are expected to wear face coverings to include place like cinemas, theatres, places of worship and community centres. A full list with further guidance can be found on the Government website - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own

Those travelling by car should only do so with people from their household or within their support bubble, or if this is a work requirement. Outside of this, avoiding sharing cars with other people, but if people must then make sure to:

• Share the transport with the same people each time
• Keep to small groups of people at any one time
• Open windows for ventilation
• Clean your car between journeys using standard cleaning products; make sure you clean door handles and other areas that people may touch
• Ask the driver and passengers to wear a face covering.

I am really pleased that Nottingham has been successful in bidding for funding that will help with the work needed for the Broadmarsh shopping site which Intu abandoned when going into administration. Through the Local Enterprise Partnership £44.4 million has been allocated for wide-ranging infrastructure projects across the D2N2 area, which includes a little under £8 million for Broadmarsh which will pay for things like site inspection, survey and potential demolitions of part of the shopping centre. Our main priority at the moment is safely re-opening the Lister Gate Walkway which Intu closed when they went into administration. Work has now begun on this and I hope it can be finished as quickly as possible so this important access point into the city centre can start being used again.

To promote Nottingham’s Carbon Neutral 2028 goal and what citizens can do to help, we have launched a 28-day challenge running in August. Every day there is a different free, fun activity led by a partner in the city, which teaches people about how to reduce their environmental impact. We have walking, cycling and growing challenges and much more, including art, sport and cooking. Though to achieve our ambitious target there needs to be big changes likes those we have laid out in our Carbon Neutral Action Plan, there are many small changes people can make in their day to day life that can help contribute to a more sustainable future for our city.   You can follow what challenges are happening on what days here and also follow @MyNottingham on Facebook and Twitter.