Wokingham Borough Connect
 Thank you for your efforts
We are pleased to report that Covid-19 cases are continuing to fall in Wokingham Borough. The current weekly rate per 100,000 people is 195.2 (up to 29 January). Everyone’s commitment to sticking to the rules and only leaving home for essential reasons has helped to bring infection rates down.
We do still have a long way to go to get to the rates that we were at last Autumn, but it is promising to see the data heading in the right direction. Don’t forget that you can access all of the latest Covid-19 statistics for Wokingham Borough and our neighbouring local authorities on the Berkshire Public Health website.
 More rapid tests for keyworkers
We’re delighted to announce that we have opened our second lateral flow test centre at the Microsoft Campus in Thames Valley Park, following the successful launch of rapid testing at our Shute End office. This means even more keyworkers can get tested on a regular basis.
Both centres are open to keyworkers who live or work in Wokingham Borough, and who are regularly leaving home to go to work (because they are unable to work from home). Anyone who meets this criteria, and is not being tested through any other national scheme, can book a test slot using the electronic booking system for the Microsoft Campus, or the electronic booking system for the council’s Shute End testing centre.
Read more about our new test centre on our website, and visit our lateral flow test webpage for the full list of keyworkers who are eligible, and further information. Lateral flow testing is for people with no symptoms; if you have any symptoms of coronavirus you must get a PCR test, which you can book through the national website.
 Even more support through One Front Door
At the start of the pandemic, we worked with our partners to set-up Wokingham Borough Community Response’s One Front Door service; providing free advice to residents and linking people up with charities and services that can help.
We started quickly by delivering food parcels and picking up prescriptions for residents who were shielding. Now, we’ve brought local GPs on board and strengthened our mental health support. Find out more about this by watching our brand-new video.
If you or someone you know needs support of any kind – welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, support for your mental health, domestic violence, or just someone to have a chat with if you are lonely – contact the team on 0300 330 1189 or visit the website.
 Showcasing our Adult Social Care Covid-19 Taskforce
Last year, we set up our Adult Social Care Covid-19 Taskforce; made up of Wokingham Borough Council employees who work closely with our external partners across the health and social care sector.
Since then, the team have been providing vital support to our care homes and their residents across the Wokingham Borough, ensuring they stay as safe as possible. In November, the team were faced with a huge task to navigate; a significant outbreak of Covid-19 at Shinfield View care home.
We wanted to share some of the feedback we received about their efforts, to celebrate the work of our Adult Social Care Covid-19 Taskforce during what was truly a challenging time. You can find out more by reading the full case study on our website.
 Census 2021: We need your help!
No one knows your community better than you, and we need your help to raise awareness and understanding of the 2021 census within your communities. The once-in-a-decade census is happening in March and will provide us with important insights into the impact of the pandemic on our society.
Households across Wokingham Borough will be asked to take part in the nationwide survey of housing and the population. This year the census will be digital first, which means it can be completed online using any device.
From the first week in March all households will receive a letter with a unique access code in the post, allowing them to complete their questionnaire online. Online help will be available, and paper questionnaires will be available on request.
For more information and lots of downloadable resources to help promote the value of the 2021 census, please visit census.gov.uk
 We want to hear from you!
We need you to be our eyes and ears in the community; and feedback on anything that isn’t clear, or that you think residents need further information on.
Please use our online form to provide your feedback, and also take a moment to fill in our short survey about yourself. This will help us to understand a bit more about who you are, where you’re based and why you signed up to become a Covid Community Information Champion.
 Useful links
Dedicated Covid-19 page on our website
Latest stats for Wokingham Borough via the Covid-19 Dashboard
How Covid-19 is affecting our services
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