 Covid-19 response team
This team today started hitting key locations across the borough, to help you and businesses stay safe and keep to the new lockdown. You'll see them out and about in high-vis yellow jackets.
The team includes our own redeployed officers as well as those from our joint Public Protection Service (PPP). They will initially focus on potential ‘hotspots’, such as town centres, but will expand to cover other parts of the borough as needed. PPP officers will also carry out checks evenings and weekends.
Our approach is to engage with people to encourage the right behaviour but, if we sadly need to, we and the police will enforce lockdown using prohibitions, fixed penalties and potentially prosecutions.
 Libraries and leisure centres update
We’ve decided from tomorrow to temporarily move our two remaining open libraries in Wokingham and Woodley to online services and close our leisure centres.
We need to redeploy our library and sport staff to our frontline services to help manage the spread of the virus and protect the vulnerable in our communities. These staff were also redeployed in this way during the first lockdown.
Overdue fines will remain suspended while both libraries are closed, don’t worry about returning books, and you can still use the libraries’ online service for e-Books e-Audio, e-Comics, e-Newspapers and e-Magazines. You can also do online exercises classes created by our sports team from our YouTube channel.
We’re currently working out how you can collect food waste bags and caddies as these had been available at the libraries. We hope to let you know our solution to this later this week.
 Guy Fawkes Night in lockdown
It’s going to be different this year but if you have a garden, your household/ support bubble can celebrate there until 11pm.
But be mindful of having fireworks or a bonfire. The fire service is urging us to avoid these due to the impact these could have on already busy emergency services. Also, bonfire and firework smoke isn’t helpful for people with breathing issues or Covid-19. If you do opt for fireworks, follow the Firework Code and use fireworks with a CE mark.
If you don’t have a garden, you could have a virtual fireworks display on your TV or laptop. Alexandra Palace will be screening its full 20-minute 2019 fireworks extravaganza online. The stream is available here on 5 November from 6pm.
 You are not alone - help is available
If you find you’re struggling during lockdown, One Front Door remains the fastest way to get help and advice on a wide range of things including prescription collections, food shopping, debt, benefits, and health and wellbeing. Led by Citizens Advice Wokingham, it is part of Wokingham Borough Community Response which we launched at the start of the pandemic to give you extra support should you need it.
One Front Door can do all this because it works in tandem with us and local voluntary organisations such as the Wokingham Volunteer Centre, First Days, Involve, LINK Visiting Scheme, Age UK Berkshire and Involve Community Services - to name a few.
Contact One Front Door via its website 24/7 or call (0300) 330 1189 weekdays, 9am to 5pm, and Saturdays, 9am-1pm. You can also leave a voicemail out of hours.
 Call out for volunteers
Do you have a few hours to spare? Do you fancy helping community, voluntary and charitable groups support those people across the borough struggling during lockdown? This would be part of Wokingham Borough Community Response (see above).
If you would like to pitch in, Wokingham Volunteer Centre would love to hear from you. It is looking for volunteers of all ages. Visit its website for more details.
How Covid-19 is affecting our services
Advice and help for local businesses during Covid-19
Public Health England and Department of Health and Social Care guidance
NHS England advice
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