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

• Testing across the city
• Testing at community pharmacies
• Employers to encourage their employees to get weekly tests
• Spot-check visits to supermarkets

• #StokeonTrentTogether support and government announcement on shielding

• Support services
• South African variant update
• Physical activity for families, children and young people

Testing across the city

Our seven-day coronavirus rate is 166.2 cases per 100,000 people, from February 5 to February 11, a decrease of 32.9% 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 7.2 per cent.

Although cases are widespread, latest figures show that Moorcroft, Etruria, Hanley and Tunstall have the highest rates for coronavirus in the city, but data also shows residents in these wards are not getting tested. If you live in these areas please get tested.

We recently received this fantastic feedback from our testing centre at Sneyd Green community hub:

"My husband and I attended the Covid testing last Thursday at the community centre. The team were mainly younger people. Everyone from the gentleman on duty at the door, the guys doing the registration process and the ladies who performed the test for us were so polite, helpful and encouraging, that we wanted to say thanks to them. It was a pleasure to meet yesterday’s test crew. I assume you will know who is in charge of the testing activities in the area so if you could pass on our thanks and say how impressed we were with this organised team of people."

Well done to the team at Sneyd Green. We hope that this brilliant feedback encourages more people to go and get tested.

We have worked hard to bring rapid result testing to as many local communities as possible, to make it quick and accessible for people to be tested. We now have 15 community venues open across the city. Blurton Community Hub and Hazel Trees Duke Street will open tomorrow (February 18) and Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre will open on Friday (February 19). Only 2,210 tests were done last week – that’s less than one per cent of our population but at least 60% of you were out and about.

We have 15,000 appointments available this week - there is no excuse to not get tested. There is plenty of capacity and there are time slots throughout the day available - including early mornings and evenings, seven days a week. Walk-ins are welcome at each individual site - to secure a slot, booking on our website is still recommended.

It's important to remember that going for a test will not negatively affect the easing of lockdown - we need more people to get tested to drive down our positivity rate, not to keep us in lockdown.

If you are leaving your house to go to work, to visit the supermarket or to see somebody in your support or childcare bubble, book a test regularly for peace of mind. One in three people who have Covid don’t show any sign of the three main symptoms and that’s why regular testing is one of our main defences against this deadly virus.  

Testing is vitally important, even as the vaccination programme continues to progress. You should still get tested if you have been vaccinated, whilst you are safe you can still spread it.

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

Testing at community pharmacies

We are now working with Central Health Solutions, who are responsible for the running of many community pharmacies in Stoke-on-Trent. 20 pharmacies across the city will be carrying out lateral flow testing and offering appointments from Monday 22 February.

As long as you have no symptoms of coronavirus, you can access a COVID-19 lateral flow test by making an appointment at a community pharmacy in the area you live or work in. The service is for everyone over the age of 11.

You can book from Thursday 18 February, go to www.1centralhealth.co.uk/stokelft or click on the link our on website to the site.

Pharmacies offering tests are:

• Abbey Hulton - Miltons Chemist and Lloyds
• Milton - Milton Pharmacy
• Blurton - Blurton Pharmacy
• Chell - Birchill & Watson
• Burslem - Middleport Pharmacy, Burslem Pharmacy and Lloyds
• Stoke - Miltons Chemist and Lloyds (inside Sainsburys)
• Dresden - Millers Chemist
• Fenton - Lloyds
• Hanley - Lloyds and Derby Street Pharmacy
• Longton - Meir Hay Pharmacy
• Meir - Weston Road Pharmacy
• Hartshill - Hartshill Pharmacy
• Packmoor - Packmoor Pharmacy
• Shelton- Lloyds and Norfolk Street Pharmacy

Employers to encourage their employees to get weekly tests

This week we have written to all businesses. The role owners of businesses that remain open can play in helping to drive coronavirus out of Stoke-on-Trent is critical. Until we can drive the rates down much further it is unlikely that there can be much serious relaxing of the lockdown and this will prevent any chance of the business sector being able to return to any form of normal operation.

Testing people without symptoms can help to identify cases quickly and help break the chain of transmission. More recently, we have found that many cases of coronavirus are being directly linked to workplaces. No matter what size of the business, business owners can help play a vital role in our continuous battle to keep this deadly disease at bay. This will help to make sure that any cases are caught early and the risk of spread is reduced. 

Businesses can help by:

1. Signing up to ensure your business receives access to regular rapid testing (lateral flow testing)
2. Making sure that your staff are tested regularly – at a minimum - on a weekly basis to keep your workplaces and our communities safe and to ensure this becomes a part of normal working practices
3. Encouraging your staff and their families and friends to get tested regularly

Businesses in Stoke-on-Trent 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.

Businesses working with the council will be able provided with expert guidance and advice to support their testing delivery. Other benefits include:

• A payment of £7 per test delivered to staff
• Local supply of PPE and test kits provided by the council
• The option of community testing for those working from home to ensure testing is offered to all the workforce.

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

Spot-check visits to supermarkets

Over the past seven days, a total of 21 complaints have been made to our public protection team about supermarkets, including chains such as Asda, the Co-op, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and a number of Tesco stores, with concerns focusing on how busy stores are and a lack of social distancing. We have even been contacted by a member of the public concerned that people were removing face coverings and eating sausage rolls together in one store, in breach of the coronavirus guidance.

This is really concerning. Supermarkets have been in the privileged position of being able to remain open during the lockdown and have been relied on by residents across the city. We cannot tolerate stores not following the guidance or people flouting the rules when they visit. Supermarkets have a vital role to play in our city’s response to the coronavirus. We all need them to be at the top of their game.

Council leader Abi Brown and public health director Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones have now started their own spot-check visits and will continue to make these during the week. These visits so far have been to Morrisons in Festival Park, Sainsbury’s in Stoke and the Co-op in Weston Coyney, and they have been really pleased with what we have seen.

These checks are being carried out in addition to a range of measures already in place. All supermarkets carry out coronavirus risk assessments, including reducing their capacities in line with the size of their stores. This information is shared with our public protection teams. Our Covid stewards and public protection teams work very closely with stores and are able to offer advice, and respond to complaints.

There has been clear signage in place, plenty of hand sanitiser stations. Sainsbury’s has added extra floor spacing markings and sanitiser points at the end of aisles, and all staff are wearing face coverings. We want to see supermarkets continue to commit to testing their staff regularly. It is also really important that we all follow the guidance when visiting stores. For example, four adults were shopping together in Morrisons, this is clearly against the rules - we must shop individually in line with the guidance that is clearly on display in stores.

When you're visiting a supermarket, if you do not feel safe and they are not following the guidelines, don't shop there. We want to continue to work with supermarkets, and to give advice and support where needed. Dr Edmondson-Jones wrote to all stores a couple of weeks ago to remind them of their responsibilities, and we have clearly seen stores acting on this, which is pleasing. This good work must continue for us to continue to fight against this terrible virus.

#StokeonTrentTogether support and government announcement on shielding

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 10 February 2,574 calls were made to the helpline and 21,740 proactive welfare calls made. The support service can offer help with things such as shopping and prescription collecting.

Yesterday (Tuesday) the government announced the expansion of the Shielded Patients List (SPL) to incorporate an additional 1.7million people across the country to the current Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) list. More detail is being released on this by government, but what it will mean in the city is that around 5,000 people will be added to this list.

Those on the new and the existing CEV list will be written to and advised to shield now until 31 March. Letters from government will be going out in the next couple of days and we will be communicating to those on the list in Stoke-on-Trent over the coming days to give support and details on how to access the priority supermarket slots. 

As a reminder to those who are shielding, please access our #StokeonTrentTogether support service if you need help. 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.

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, such as domestic abuse, mental health, homelessness and financial issues. Please go to https://www.stoke.gov.uk/supportservices to find out more information about some of them

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.

South African variant update

The first case of the South African variant of COVID-19, with no links to international travel, has been identified in Staffordshire. While there is currently no evidence of the South African variant circulating in the community, this should act as a reminder to people they should be getting tested regularly.

Physical activity for families, children and young people

During these difficult times a lot of us are facing a change in our daily routines, but it’s still important to get regular exercise and maintain a healthy balanced diet. As well as keeping you fit and health, exercise helps to build confidence, improves sleep and helps to prevent low mood and depression. For children, exercise is also very important for improving their co-ordination, strengthens their muscles and bones and helps them to improve their concentration and learning.

Our public health team have put together some useful information on how you can keep active during lockdown:

Exercise can be divided into three categories: light, moderate and vigorous

• Light exercises are where you are moving rather than just sitting or lying down. These include: vacuuming, cleaning and walking at a slow pace.
• Moderate exercises should raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. These exercises include: brisk walking, riding a bike, dancing and pushing a lawn mower.
• Vigorous exercises make you breathe hard and fast. You will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. These exercises include: jogging or running, skipping rope, walking up multiple stairs and aerobics classes.

We know that with the change of routine, exercising during lockdown might be difficult. You could set daily targets for different activities as part of a daily routine. You could use this as a competition between your family and give rewards to whoever did the most exercise at the end of the week. You could also try online activity sessions.

Check out the council’s leisure services Facebook pages where exercise videos are regularly uploaded for you to follow. These can be found on the pages for Dimensions, Fenton Manor and The Wallace Centre

You can find some other ideas for indoor and outdoor exercises on the following websites:

• NHS Change 4 Life – exercise ideas for children
• Join the Movement - Sports England
• The Body Coach – PE with Joe
• Race at your pace - Fitness and exercise challenges

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