This is intended to keep you updated on the latest developments linked to Covid-19. The bulletin includes information on:

• A year since the first Covid case in the city
• Unitas is now using rapid testing on staff
• Vaccination update
• Testing across the city update 
• You must self-isolate if you get a test 
• Contact tracing led by the city council
• #StokeonTrentTogether update 
• Support services across the city 
• Children's Mental Health Week

• Loneliness and staying connected

• Potters 'Arf

A year since the first Covid case in the city

This week marks a year since we received news of the first Covid-19 case in Stoke-on-Trent. It has been humbling to see how our city has pulled together over the past year to fight this awful, deadly virus. From people standing at their door steps every Thursday to 'Clap for Carers', to thousands of residents volunteering to support those more vulnerable than them, and most recently. city council staff volunteering on the Critical Care unit at The University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust. We should all be immensely proud of our city.

We know that the pressure on the Royal Stoke remains severe, and Stoke-on-Trent residents are sadly continuing to die from this awful virus.

The NHS has now offered the Covid-19 vaccine to residents at every eligible care home with older residents across England. This is great news for those in care homes, work in care homes, or have loved ones in care homes in Stoke-on-Trent. This marks a crucial milestone in our ongoing race to vaccinate the most vulnerable against this deadly disease.

It is important to remember that testing is still the best defence we have against Covid-19. If you are leaving your house to go to work, to visit the supermarket or to see somebody in your support or childcare bubble, please book a test regularly.

Last week, we heard the news that schools will not reopen before 8 March and that Government has announced plans for the easing of lockdown to be shared later this month. As soon as these plans are announced we will be working with businesses to ensure they are fully supported.

Unitas is now using rapid testing on staff

Unitas - the city council's repairs and maintenance company - is one of the 10 businesses that have now signed up to the Lateral Flow Testing programme. This means that three members of Unitas staff have been trained and will now be carrying out regular tests on their front line workers. 

Larger businesses in Stoke-on-Trent, like Unitas, still have the opportunity to roll out Covid-19 testing for their employees. By joining the city council programme, businesses in the city will be playing a key role in protecting their workforce and the wider community. Testing people without symptoms can help to identify cases quickly and help break the chain of transmission.

If businesses would like to arrange a further discussion with the team, they should get in touch by emailing LFTEnquiries@stoke.gov.uk.

Testing across the city update

Our seven-day coronavirus rate is 257.4 cases per 100,000 people, from 21 January to 27 January, a decrease of 28.9 per cent on the previous seven days. Our positivity rate – the percentage of people who have had a coronavirus test and tested positive – has also decreased to 9.8 per cent. This is fantastic news that we are now seeing our rate decrease this much.

Community lateral flow testing is available seven days a week. On Saturday a new community venue at Hanley Town Football Club opened, and 14 members of their staff have undertaken comprehensive training in order to carry out lateral flow testing onsite. It is now open seven days a week, Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm and weekends 9am to 3pm. The club have worked hard to make sure the site is safe and accessible for local residents.

Four more community testing venues will also open next week at Weston Coyney Village Hall, Florence Sports and Social Club, Sneyd Green Community Hall and Christ Church in Tunstall.

Testing is still vitally important, even as the vaccination programme continues to progress. The tests are quick and free and give you a result within 30 minutes. Lateral flow tests are reliable and there is no reason to think you need a PCR test to confirm.

They are available this week at:

You can book a test and also find next week's testing schedule via www.stoke.gov.uk/bookacovid19test

If you have one or more of the following symptoms then you are not eligible for lateral flow testing and should instead book a test through https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, or by calling 119:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

You must self-isolate if you get a test

If you are told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS Covid-19 app you should self-isolate immediately. Your self-isolation period includes the day you were last in contact with the person who tested positive and the next 10 full days.

Getting a negative test result after you have been told to self-isolate does not mean you do not have to stop self-isolating. You can find out more information about self-isolation by clicking here.

It is a legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for Covid-19 or if you are identified as a contact and told to self-isolate by Test and Trace. Failure to self-isolate for the full time-period can result in a fine, starting from £1,000.

Vaccination update

Every week, along with partners, we are increasing our capacity to vaccinate more people and are offering more options to get vaccinated. It's important to remember that this the biggest vaccination programme in the NHS’ history and will take several months to complete. The NHS is working hard to gradually roll out the vaccine as quickly as possible. 

The launch of our first large vaccination site in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent last week was a significant milestone for people in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. We will be able to vaccinate thousands of people every week through these sites, as vaccine supplies increase. In the first week, around 3,500 people received the vaccination at the site.

These sites are in addition to our 23 GP led community sites and pharmacy sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Locally partners have delivered 170,000 vaccines so far, with more than 88 per cent of over 80s now vaccinated.

Contact tracing led by the city council

Our local contact tracing continues to reach out to the residents of Stoke-on-Trent who have tested positive for Covid-19 to reinforce the guidance and advice around self-isolation, and also to make sure our residents are keeping as well as possible as they isolate.

Since the start of 2021, we have consistently worked seven days a week in our local teams to call our positive cases, contacting between 300-400 people over the weekend periods. We are working hard to support the people of Stoke-on-Trent, and have made many improvements to our internal systems. We are seeing a marked increase in the number of cases we successfully contact which is now at more than 80 per cent. The impact of this local work is now becoming evident in the gradually reducing number of new cases of Covid-19 in the city.

Our Covid stewards are also working hard alongside the contact tracing team to make welfare visits to those the team cannot reach via telephone. For example, when we could not contact by telephone an 87-year-old lady who had tested positive, the stewards visited her house to check she was alright as we were concerned for her welfare. Thankfully she was, and the lady was really impressed with all the support that she had been given and was grateful of what we are doing to contact those who have tested positive.

#StokeonTrentTogether update

Our #StokeonTrentTogether support service in partnership with VAST continues to operate and support residents across the city in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Between 5 November to 27 January 2,293 calls were made to the helpline including 36 on Christmas Day. During this same period 19,601 proactive welfare calls made.

More than £500k of food vouchers were issued before Christmas including over 900 issued directly by the city council (Early Years, Care Leavers, children not on school roll, College Age). February Half Term school meal vouchers will be administered in the same process as at Christmas and letters have gone out to all schools in the city.

#StokeonTrentTogether can offer help with things such as shopping and prescription collecting. Please visit https://corona19.vast.org.uk/ for more information or call 0800 561 5610.

Support services across the city

There are lots of brilliant support services across the city who can help with a wide range of issues you may be facing. Please go to https://www.stoke.gov.uk/supportservices to find out more information.

Please remember that the #StokeonTrentTogether network is here for you if you need support during these challenging times. You can contact them via phone 0800 561 5610, which is open Monday to Thursday, 9am - 5pm and Friday, 9am - 4.30pm  You can find out more about what #StokeonTrentTogether can help you with by clicking here.

The 24-hour mental health helpline can also provide support if you're struggling with your mental health. Please call 01782 234233 to access support.

Children's Mental Health Week

This week (1 – 7 February) is Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week. Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity which works with pupils, families and staff in UK schools to provide mental health support in schools including counselling and training and workshops. This year, the theme for Children’s Mental Health Week is ‘Express Yourself.’ Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. This could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, and doing activities that make you feel good. Click here to find out more about Children’s Mental Health Week and how you can get involved.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Place2Be has also developed some activity ideas to boost children's wellbeing and helping them to navigate changes in their lives. You can find out more about these by clicking here.

Click here to find out more information about Place2Be’s mission to improve children's mental health.

Loneliness and staying connected

We know that many people will be feeling isolated and lonely, especially with not being able to physically see family friends. Our public health team have put together some tips on how you can stay connected and get support if you need it:  

• Ask for help - talk to friends, family and neighbours about anything you need. If you are not in a position to do this, you can contact #StokeonTrentTogether via 0800 561 5610. They offer a befriending service and help with practical things such as shopping.
• Join or set up a neighbourhood WhatsApp group - you can also use this to do group video calls.
• Ask a younger member of your family to help you use social media websites such as Facebook.
• If you are digitally connected, you could join interest groups to connect with others
• Have a look for some old photos to share ‘virtually.'

Other tips and more advice can be found via:

• Age UK website .
• #StokeonTrentTogether website or phone 0800 561 5610 if you require support
• ChangesHere4U website

Potters 'Arf

Last year’s Potters ’Arf was cancelled in response to the coronavirus pandemic and it had originally been hoped that a 2021 event could take place on the traditional date of the second Sunday in June. However, following the latest Government and national sporting body advice, we are now aiming for Sunday, September 26.

The Potters ’Arf Marathon is an iconic part of the Stoke-on-Trent calendar and, now that mass vaccinations are under way in Stoke-on-Trent and across the country, we are hopeful that this race can be a shining light of hope as we move through 2021.

The safety of our residents and participants is of the upmost importance to us and we will, of course, be regularly reviewing the guidance provided by the Government and England Athletics in the run-up to the event. But we’re very optimistic that the race will be able to go ahead in September.

We are writing to all participants who deferred their places from the cancelled 2020 event to invite them to the 2021 race.

For more information, visit https://www.stoke.gov.uk/pottersarf

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