Vaccinations are currently being given to the groups identified as being most at risk as set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Staff who are in these priority groups for the COVID-19 vaccine will receive a letter addressed personally to them from Roger Harris, Corporate Director Adults, Housing and Health advising them when they are eligible for vaccination
To date 85% of over 75s in Thurrock have received a COVID-19 vaccination. The NHS is now asking anyone who is over 70 and has not been contacted about getting a vaccination to make an appointment online or by calling 119 – more information on this is available at essexcovidvaccine.nhs.uk.
Some information about vaccinations available online may be untrue or based on a misunderstanding of scientific data, so it’s important not to immediately believe everything you read online and instead make sure you are accessing the most accurate information through NHS or government websites.
The World Health Organisation also has a useful dedicated COVID-19 myth-busters page.
Weekly tests for frontline services
We are encouraging workers who can’t work from home to access a weekly COVID-19 test – this includes colleagues of #TeamThurrock who provide frontline services across the borough. A test can be undertaken in one of the following ways:
- attending a drive-through test at the site in Crown Road, Grays, without needing to book online first, you can drop-in between 9am and 3pm on any day during the week, or at weekends
- booking a drive-through test at the site in Corringham
- booking a walk-through test at sites in Grays, or Orsett Heath
- asking to get a test by post
Managers will continue to support staff in accessing tests. Remember, if you receive a positive test result, you and your household should immediately self-isolate. Self-isolation and other absences must be logged on Oracle Cloud. Full guidance is available on the intranet.
COVID-19 tests and asymptomatic infections
The PCR COVID-19 test, which is currently the only test used in Thurrock, is 95% effective at picking up positive cases of the virus. This means for every 100 people with coronavirus tested, it will correctly pick up 95 of those. No diagnostic test is 100 per cent accurate - the most important features of a COVID-19 test are accuracy and reliability.
One in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising. If you don't have any coronavirus symptoms the government advice is that you don't need to isolate while you await the results of this test, unless you have been told to self-isolate by Test and Trace.
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Thurrock Council's Cabinet have agreed to establish an ASELA joint committee, to further its aims of achieving investment and growth for the region. Other South Essex councils will decide whether to join in the coming weeks.
In early 2018, the council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together with other local authorities in South Essex - Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Rochford, Southend and Thurrock - through a partnership collectively known as the Association of South Essex Local Authorities (ASELA). ASELA is engaging directly with government to promote the development and regeneration of South Essex with the aim of increasing prosperity and quality of life for residents.
The Government is expected to release its ‘Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper’ later this year, which will outline recommendations for the future structure of local government. In preparation for LGR and in addition to the work happening with ASELA, Thurrock Council is considering signing an additional MOU with Basildon Council to confirm the intention to work more closely when proposing future governance arrangements for both boroughs.
The MOU will go to Cabinet for agreement in March, and work is still very much in the exploratory stages. Its aim would be to help Thurrock and Basildon Councils to take control of the decisions made about the two boroughs, which could potentially include the creation of a new unitary authority for the area. No proposals or decisions have yet been made.
Monday 8 to Sunday 14 February is National Apprenticeship Week, shining a spotlight on the fantastic experiences and opportunities for development apprenticeships can offer.
We have recently shared new written and video case studies on our website featuring a number of colleagues from #TeamThurrock talking about their roles and what apprenticeships have offered them at the council. Apprenticeships can be for people of all ages, not only those finishing school or sixth form but also those who have already established careers and wish to try something new.
The Thurrock Opportunities website provides a range of support, information and guidance for young people, parents and carers supporting, and also employers and teachers. A number of live webinar sessions are available throughout the week to help local people find out about the types of apprenticeships available, the various qualifications they can include, higher level apprenticeships and helpful question and answer sessions.
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This week is #LookCloser awareness week, aiming to raise awareness of the ongoing abuse and exploitation of children across the country. Launched by the Children’s Society in partnership with the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre and British Transport Police, the week reminds people that child exploitation can happen anywhere, and any young person can be a victim.
With many families remaining at home, it can be increasingly difficult to identify when young people are potentially being groomed, exploited or abuse. Visit the Children’s Society website for further details about child exploitation and how to donate or volunteer, or how you can support their work. If you think a child or young person is in danger, call the police immediately on 999.
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