Self-isolation period shortened to 10 days
Self-isolation for contacts of people who have a confirmed case of Covid-19 will be shortened from 14 to 10 days across the UK from Monday. This means that anyone who has been self-isolating for 10 days or more will be able to end their quarantine on Monday.
People who test positive should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from the onset of their symptoms, or 10 days from the point of taking a positive test if asymptomatic.
Anyone returning from countries which are not on the travel corridor list should also self-isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days
Remember, if you’re asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, you must comply in order to prevent the virus spreading in your community. The full story can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Case rates in Wokingham Borough
As of 5 December, the weekly case rate per 100,000 people in Wokingham Borough had risen to 142. What’s more, we’re now seeing the case rate in the South East sit higher than the average for England as a whole (161.9 vs 153).
A large proportion of cases are coming from within household transmissions. and we must stick to the rules under Tier 2 (High) restrictions in order to keep infections down. That means not meeting other households indoors, and sticking to the rule of six outdoors. This is crucial for preventing us from moving to Tier 3 (Very High).
All of the latest data for the borough and our neighbouring local authorities can be found in the Covid-19 Dashboard on the Berkshire Public Health website.
Covid Support Officers hitting the streets
There are a number of actions that we’re taking to protect our communities and slow the spread of the virus across the borough. In fact, we’ve now employed four full-time Covid Support Officers to ensure there are people on the ground who can offer advice and support directly to businesses and the public.
Our Officers will be promoting safe and successful trading in our town and village centres. They’ll be encouraging public compliance with Covid-19 public health measures, such as social distancing and the wearing of face coverings; and also sign-posting businesses to specialist advice if needed.
For more information, read our full article.
Volunteer at a Covid-19 vaccination clinic
The NHS is getting ready to deliver a Covid-19 vaccination programme and The Wokingham Volunteer Centre is looking for people to help once it’s ready.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a part in protecting the community and saving lives at the borough’s dedicated vaccination clinics. The volunteer role is still being finalised, but will include tasks such as ensuring smooth arrival onsite, efficient patient flow and safety and security.
Volunteers would need to be a minimum of 18 years old and ideally be DBS checked. If you are not DBS checked, you will need to provide one reference. For more information and to apply, head to The Wokingham Volunteer Centre website.
Supporting our most vulnerable residents
In our Covid-19 Residents Impact Survey, we found that 7% of respondents admitted that they struggled with IT, internet, or use of digital technology during the first wave of the pandemic and this is something we want to change.
So, we’ve joined forces with local charities, as part of the Wokingham Borough Community response, to provide donated IT equipment to vulnerable residents who don’t have the knowledge or tools they need to go online.
If you have any devices you no longer use, you can donate them at one of our sites from Monday 14 December. Simply check that they meet the requirements and ensure they’re restored to factory settings. Read the full information and details on our website.
Looking after your wellbeing this winter
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on our everyday lives and many of us are struggling more than usual. Keeping active is just one thing we can do to look after our mental health and wellbeing every day. We recently wrote about the benefits of walking and cycling to school – find out more by reading the full article.
Our Public Health team have also produced a helpful PDF document on keeping warm and well during the winter. This gives useful advice on ensuring you keep your home well heated, staying active, connecting with others, following Covid-19 guidance and more. Make sure you have a read!
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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