 Rising cases and re-infections
As mentioned in last week’s update, the way Covid cases are reported has now changed, with people who have had Covid more than once now included in the daily case numbers. If you keep an eye on local case rates through the Berkshire Public Health website, you’ll notice daily cases have increased as a result. The weekly case rate follows a week after the case numbers so is set to rise even further in a week’s time.
We’re seeing a number of people who have previously had Covid being infected for a second time. So just because you’ve had it in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t catch it again. Stay safe by testing regularly to check you aren’t infected, wearing your face covering in busy and crowded places and following self-isolation guidance. If you feel unwell, please book a PCR test on Gov.uk.
Remember, while Covid can be a mild illness for some, for others it can be very serious.
 Have questions about the Covid-19 vaccine?
While vaccination rates are relatively high in the borough, there are still some residents who are yet to have their jabs. If you have any concerns or questions that you haven’t been able to find the answer to, you can contact our vaccine support team on covid.info@wokingham.gov.uk.
From pregnancy and allergies to effectiveness and long-term immunity – no question is too silly or irrelevant. Once your questions have been answered, and if you would like to have your jab, you can book your first, second or booster vaccination online, or visit a nearby walk-in clinic in Bracknell or Reading.
The Covid-19 vaccine bus will also be at Lower Earley Library next Wednesday (9 February), from 10am to 4pm, offering first second and booster doses to over 16s. The team on site can answer questions you may have about the vaccine.
 Help is here if you are struggling
We know it can be really challenging to make ends meet. Support is available for residents who are worried about paying for essential costs or need some extra help this winter.
The Household Support Fund is a sum of money that has been given to councils to help the most vulnerable households in the coming months. We’ve distributed the majority of this funding to the local voluntary sector to ensure it reaches the people who need it most.
We are urging anyone who is feeling overwhelmed and in need of help to contact the One Front Door – no matter what problem you’re facing, whether it’s help paying your bills, or simply having someone to talk to, the team can help them find a way forward. Here’s how to contact them:
 What is an ‘endemic’?
You may have seen articles in the news recently about the pandemic moving to an ‘endemic’ stage. We thought it would be useful to explain this in more detail.
An epidemic disease is one in which the number of cases in the community is unusually large or unexpected; and public health action is needed to bring transmission under control. A pandemic is a worldwide epidemic, representing a global public health emergency, as we’ve seen with Covid.
A disease being epidemic indicates that the drivers for disease spread overpower the factors limiting spread. As immunity increases across the population – ideally in a controlled way by vaccination – but also by natural infection, the disease’s ability to transmit falls.
Over time, the presence of circulating disease represents a lower threat to the community than it did at the beginning of an epidemic. Transmission becomes more predictable - we may still see some waves, especially seasonally, but these are expected and manageable.
This is when it is considered an endemic disease. Endemic diseases include common colds, flu, HIV, measles, malaria and tuberculosis. Eventually, it is hoped that Covid will become an endemic disease, but case rates are still very high, therefore, we shouldn’t drop our guards just yet. For now, we must continue with all the best practice behaviours to keep ourselves and others safe.
 Additional Restrictions Grant now open to eligible businesses
To help support businesses that continue to be impacted by Covid-19 restrictions and the spread of the Omicron variant, we have been awarded an additional amount of funding to distribute to businesses on a first come-first-serve basis.
Each business who meets the eligibility criteria will receive a one-off discretionary payment of £1,000. Payments will be made by Thursday 31 March 2022. You will need to submit evidence to demonstrate loss of demand and income and provide other information – please see the full details on our website.
 Useful links
Dedicated Covid-19 pages on our website
Latest stats for Wokingham Borough via the Covid-19 Dashboard
How Covid-19 is affecting our services
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