Monday 29 November 2021
Resident Bulletin
Due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), we are providing regular email updates to let you know about the latest information we have on local and national measures to contain the virus, any changes to local services and support that's available.
If you do not wish to receive these updates please click on "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the page.
Further information is available from www.rotherham.gov.uk/coronavirus
 Following the Government’s announcement over the weekend, face coverings are required in shops and on public transport from tomorrow, Tuesday 30 November 2021.
This means you must wear a face covering in these settings.
The new rules have been put in place to help protect our communities from the spread of COVID-19 during the winter period, especially from the new variant Omicron.
It will be a few weeks before we will fully understand the new variant's transmissibility and severity. In the mean time, residents are being encouraged to continue to get vaccinated, follow the guidelines and to wear face coverings in certain areas to reduce the risk of transmission.
According to research in the British Medical Journal, wearing a face covering in crowded indoor areas reduces your risk of catching COVID-19 by 53%.
Whatever type of face covering you wear: a disposable surgical-grade face mask, a store bought 3-layer face covering, or a home-made face covering, all help to reduce your chances of catching or spreading COVID-19.
While some people may prefer to wear visors, these are not as effective as wearing a face covering as they do not protect from droplets spread when breathing and do not comply with regulations. In some settings, like at vaccination centres, you may be asked to use a face covering rather than a visor.
Some people may be exempt from wearing face coverings due to health issues.
Make sure you wear your face covering correctly
Face coverings are most effective when you wear them correctly. This means they should cover both your nose and your mouth.
Some face coverings have nose clips which allow you to shape the covering around the bridge of your nose for extra comfort and security.
Your face covering should not be loose or too tight.
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Help stop the spread of COVID-19
There are simple things we can all do to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Get vaccinated - make sure you’re fully vaccinated against COVID. First, second and booster doses are available in Rotherham. Go to Your Health Rotherham to find out more.
Wash your hands regularly with warm, soapy water and wipe down surfaces which you use often with soapy water.
If you’re meeting friends or family, or going out to a festive event, take a lateral flow test before you go to make sure you don’t have the virus. If you test positive, stay at home and order a PCR test by going online or calling 119.
Lateral flow testing kits are available from all Rotherham Council Libraries as well as through your local pharmacy and online.
Further information about getting tested is available on the Rotherham Council website.
It is important that you self-isolate for at least 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. That means not having visitors to your house or leaving your house unless there is a medical emergency. If you can, try to stay away from people you live with so that you do not pass on the virus to them.
If you test positive for the new variant, Omicron, you must self-isolate for 10 days. Anyone you come into contact with must also self-isolate, regardless of their vaccination status.
Ten countries have been added to the travel Red List since Friday 26 November. These include: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola.
Only UK nationals are allowed to return to UK from these countries.
If you have travelled from one of these countries, you will need to complete ten days of quarantine. You will also need to get two PCR tests.
Further information is available at GOV.UK
 Click the image above to register for the Rotherham Round-up and receive bulletins direct to your inbox
We send out a free fortnightly e-bulletin, the Rotherham Round-Up to keep you up-to-date with what's happening across the borough.
The email includes a wide variety of news, video and events - you can view the last issue here (issued on 19 November).
It's free to sign up for the bulletins, which we usually issue on alternate weeks to this COVID update.
Click here if you want to receive the Rotherham Round-Up direct to your inbox.
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